| Topic: | Minutes Composite (Unofficial) for The Inspectorate - Planning Dept's disgrace | |
| Posted by: | Victor Mishiku | |
| Date/Time: | 09/04/13 18:40:00 |
| I have now heard third hand that the Council is apparently set to do something about the "Minutes mess" complained of by me and others. Meantime, I have myself typed out a "Composite Minutes" (Unofficial) document, which we will be sending to The Planning Inspectorate re. Dr Sahota's appeal, notice of which is expected at any moment, so that the Inspector does not have to trawl through three sets of Council Minutes and Amendments to Minutes to try to work out the final version! This "Composite Minutes" unofficial document can be seen at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14377445/AgreedMinutesCompositeunofficial.doc The official Decision Notice dated 19th March 2013 is shown at: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14377445/PP.2012.5125_REFUSAL_DECISIONNOTICE_19thMarch2013.pdf Normally, Decision Notices are sent out the next day after the night of the Committee Meeting, but in this case, it was not done so for 6 days in which time the wording of Refusal seems to have been changed (in favour of the developer). Mrs Judy Jaafar and other neighbours distinctly heard an additional reason relating to the "overbearing nature and impact on the neighbouring property" cited by Members of the Planning Committee on the night of 13th March 2013, but by the 19th March 2013, these had been omitted and the word "overbearing" (obviously relating to the impact on No.41 Castlebar Road) made been transformed into "over-intensive" (a word that was never used by a single Member of the Committee). The whole matter and handling of this case is very unsatisfactory. The Planning Department's failure to allow the full consultation time on the revised application plans to run before finalising their favourable Report to Committee was a disgrace and an unpleasant reminder of the inadequacy of the developer-loaded planning system to protect the amenity of neighbouring residents. In a very recent Local Government Ombudsman's Report on a planning complaint in another Council, the Ombudsman stated: “Local planning authorities have a duty to the public to properly consider the impact of any proposed development on its neighbours and the surrounding environment, and in this instance Walsall Council fell short of its responsibilities.” Please see at: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/general/news/stories/2013/mar13/280313/28032013_4 |