A CONTROVERISIAL decision to approve nine detached homes in a field off Middle Lane, Cropthorne, has been slammed by residents and councillors who are calling for an urgent review of Wychavon District Council’s planning process.
They are unhappy the planning committee meeting was conducted during a red heat-health warning and claim ‘due process was not followed’ and ‘local voices were sidelined’.
The Lockley Homes application for mostly three and four-bed, two-storey homes in 0.393Ha of agricultural land was approved on June 25.
But, Coun Angie Crump (Fladbury) said she asked several times for the meeting to be postponed because of the complexity of the road and issues raised by residents.
She added the late arrival of documents and an earlier mistimed site visit left committee members voting on a complicated controversial application with minimal preparation time.
“Every report received meant we had more questions.”
She added she and other residents were most concerned by the absence of any Highways representative, despite road safety being the primary issue raised by objectors.
The proposal garnered 27 objections from neighbours, including narrow of roads used as a cut-through during flooding, excessive speeding and traffic and lack of footpaths and lighting.
Wychavon strongly defended its decision to hold the meeting, highlighting it was held in an air conditioned room.
It added deferring would have risked decisions not being taken within relevant timescales.
Ciaran Power, Wychavon’s head of development management, said: “We are not aware of any inappropriate conduct by members of the planning committee, procedural irregularities or maladministration.
He acknowledged the site visit timing issue, attributing it to ‘an unfortunate logistical error’.
He said site visits were not part of the formal decision-making process or a legal requirement and, as members visited the site before the planning committee meeting, it enabled them to consider any site-specific constraints before determining the application.
He added no one available from the Highways Authority for the meeting and it was not mandatory for a highways official or any statutory consultee to attend a planning committee.
He said Highways had provided comments on the application, raising no objection subject to conditions and these were considered by the committee, along with all the other information, before it made its decision.
As committee agendas needed to be published well before meetings, he said it was normal procedure for additional information or consultation responses to be received after publication.
“If the committee believed this information had come too late to enable them to make an informed decision they could have voted for deferral.
“We appreciate people will be unhappy with the decision made, but we are satisfied the application was decided within our procedures.”
Coun Crump insisted Cropthorne residents believed this meeting demonstrated a ‘systemic failure of the planning process’ and called for officials to investigate.
“We need a planning system we can all trust.
“At the moment it is clear that many communities feel let down.”
Full statement from Wychavon District Council as follows:
Ciaran Power, head of development management for Wychavon, said: “We did consider whether it was appropriate to continue with the planning committee given the heat health alert, however, as the chamber is air conditioned and deferring the meeting would have risked applications on the agenda not being decided within the relevant timescales, we felt we were able to proceed.
“We acknowledge the issue with the timing of the site visit, which was due to an unfortunate logistical error.
“While site visits are not part of the formal decision-making process or a legal requirement, members did visit the site before the planning committee meeting.
“This gave them the opportunity to consider any site-specific constraints they felt were relevant before determining the application.
“Clearly, elected members were content that they understood the facts of the case from the site visit and information provided through the officer’s report, representations received and discussion at committee to make a determination.
“Had they not, they had the option to defer the application to a future committee.
“We did invite someone from Worcestershire County Council as the Highways Authority to attend the meeting but they were unfortunately unavailable.
“It is not mandatory for a highways official, or any statutory consultee, to attend a planning committee.
“They did provide comments on the application which raised no objection subject to conditions and these were considered along with all the other information provided to the committee when making their decision.
“Because committee agendas have to be published well in advance of meetings, it is normal procedure for additional information or consultation responses to be received after publication.
“Members were provided with an update sheet which set out any material changes or late representations submitted so they could take into account the most up-to-date information before determining the application.
“Again, if the committee believed this information had come too late to enable them to make an informed decision they could have voted for deferral.
“We are not aware of any inappropriate conduct by members of the planning committee, procedural irregularities or maladministration.
“We appreciate people will be unhappy with the decision made, but we are satisfied the application was decided within our procedures.”
