Politician fumes in planning democracy row
One councillor has lodged a formal complaint about a decision not to refer a scheme which attracted more than 30 objections to Bath and North East Somerset Council's development control committee.
Instead, the application to knock down a house at Percy Place off London Road and replace it with two new homes was approved under delegated powers by a planning officer.
The council says it has been under pressure from the Government to improve its record on dealing with applications promptly for seven years, and that it is now meeting Whitehall targets.
Less than three per cent of all planning applications in B&NES are now decided by elected politicians.
Five years ago, the Royal Institute of British Architects complained that the planning system in Bath was "in danger of collapse" because of delays in making decisions, while three years ago design expert Stephen Bayley accused civic leaders of being "spineless" in the face of conservation campaigners.
A decision on whether a plan needs to go before the committee - where it can be debated and where members of the public can also have their say - rests with committee chairman Councillor Les Kew.
He has declined to comment other than to say the application by McCarthy Homes was an amendment to a scheme which had also been dealt with under delegated powers.
Mr Kew (Con, High Littleton) was asked by local member Councillor David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) to put the Percy Place scheme on a committee agenda.
Mr Dixon describes Mr Kew's decision to leave it in the officer's hands as "nuts" and has now made a complaint under B&NES's official procedures.
"How one councillor gets to decide that a fair public hearing is not worthy of an application that received so much objection has left me pretty much depressed at the state of democracy, to be quite honest.
"It's a crazy proposal and a crazy decision to approve it."
The Bath Heritage Watchdog pressure group is worried by volume of decisions made by officials.
A spokesman said: "Ward councillors are elected to represent their ward, and it stifles local democracy if when they try to do that with planning applications which adversely affect their ward, they can be thwarted at the whim of one person.
"It is entirely wrong that council policy should be designed to render ward councillors ineffective. The system must be changed."
On its website, the group adds: "Effectively the voters in High Littleton have elected somebody who can disenfranchise the electorate in every other ward in B&NES."
The row comes as dozens of jobs are under threat in the planning department as politicians battle to balance the council's books.
Bath Preservation Trust chief executive Caroline Kay, whose group objected to the scheme, said: "With the threat of a third of the planning staff losing their jobs, it's increasingly important for councillors to take a leading role."
Neighbour Jon Barton was one of the objectors. He said: "The development is not in keeping with any of the houses within the area, particularly the grade two listed buildings it will be positioned in front of. In my opinion, there is something not quite right about how this whole thing has been rushed through and passed, ignoring all input from residents."
Stephen Turner, who lives to the rear of nearby Alexander Buildings and whose wife struggled to get permission to build a single house in Ringswell Gardens five years ago, said he was incensed.
"We had to, rightly or wrongly, jump through many hoops involving the planners, committees, the Environment Agency and consultations with neighbours.
"As a result a beautiful, modest, two-storey house was granted planning permission and has now been built. Needless to say when we sought permission, we wanted a larger three-storey non-Bath Stone dwelling to maximise profits – but this was rejected in order that the property should fit sympathetically into a World Heritage City.
"In view of this we fail to see how a larger number of dwellings, which in my opinion are less sympathetic in style and have a far greater impact on other residents - evidence of this in over 30 objections – can even be granted permission, let alone not even reach a committee."
In a statement, B&NES said it had begun falling foul of Government target timescales for determining planning applications in 2003.
"The council needed to find ways to help achieve these targets and improve our service for applicants. Since approving the council's planning scheme for delegation in November 2007, which has resulted in more applications being determined by planning officers and fewer decided through the committee process, the planning service has been successful in speeding up planning application decisions for most people.
"It has provided better value for money for the local taxpayer because the process is now more efficient. The council is now meeting Government targets."
Applications can be referred to the committee if a ward councillor requests this in writing within a set-down timescale.
The council said: "They need to specify the planning reasons for the request and at this point the case is referred to the chair of the development control committee, who will consider whether to refer the application to committee, taking into account relevant material considerations raising significant planning concerns, significant implications for adopted policy and the nature, scale and complexity of the proposed development."
The scheme was designed by award-winning architect Alvin Howard of Melksham firm Bolingbroke, who declined to comment.
In a statement, the RIBA said: "Whilst we are unable to comment on the specifics of the application in question, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Royal Town Planning Institute fully support the principle of delegated powers in the determination of applications in accordance with the schemes of delegation that have been established by local authorities.
"Planning officers are working under significant pressures of time and resources to deliver decisions, many of which contribute to the growing success of the city of Bath and its surrounding area. Where processes have been established to assist in the delivery of development that conforms to the local development plan these should be encouraged and supported at all levels."
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