Planning decisions delayed by Middleton Township dispute

A political dispute in Middleton is causing a delay to planning applications in the area.

Middleton's Labour Councillors have called-in what would normally be described as routine planning applications in protest over Labour representation on the Middleton Township planning sub-committee.

Planning officials at the Council have confirmed that the number of call-ins has increased dramatically in recent weeks.

Councillors can call in applications for the regulatory committee to consider if they think it is in the public interest. The regulatory committee deals with all major planning applications but, due to the Middleton dispute, they have also had to deal with a large number of call ins recently.

The number of call ins has prevented the Council from dealing with minor planning applications or those from homeowners, which are supposed to be dealt with within an eight week deadline.

The Labour group are believed to be protesting about what they perceive to be a 'lack of democracy in the borough'.

Councillor Colin Lambert, Labour Group Leader, said: "Major applications will continue to be sent to planning sub committees, and the council will need to speed up the committee cycle to deal with applications within appropriate timescales, until confidence can be restored in the democratic structures.

"The Lib Dems will tell any tale but the truth is that because of their actions and failure to nominate at two previous council meetings, all Heywood applications have to be sent to Regulatory Committee, causing a delay and meaning that all Heywood objectors and applicants have to travel to Rochdale to be heard.

"This is not just about transparency in planning but about democracy in the council.

"It seems to me that a number of councillors in the controlling group are shouting about having to do their job and attend meetings to ensure progress on planning applications."

Rochdale Council leader Councillor Alan Taylor, said that Labour's protest could end up costing the tax payer.

“This prosperous attempt at political posturing is set to cost Council Tax payers ten of thousands of pounds," he said. "I am awaiting information on the actual costs of this and will reveal this shortly. For the Labour Party to be proposing this is ridiculous – on one hand they are calling for more development and in the next breath they are holding us back. 

"To misuse the system for political advantage is a crazy state of affairs and a return to the balmy policies of the Labour Left in the eighties. This is unfair on applicants as there is no point comparing a conservatory with a huge housing development.

"The Audit Commission will also look unfavourably on this and this may lead to the loss of much needed investment, penalties because we cannot process our applications on time, a huge increase in officer’s time preparing reports, a dramatic increase in meetings and a huge affect on our ability to govern Rochdale.

"I am confident that my party, with the Conservatives, will kick this into the long grass.”