Councillor’s concern over planning application process

A Rochdale Councillor has written to Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles expressing his concern about Rochdale Council being able to process its own planning applications.

The letter, from Bamford ward Councillor, Ian Duckworth, comes at the time of a controversial planning application to develop a new cemetery in Rochdale:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news/50571/new-cemetery-planned-for-rochdale

The planning application was submitted by the Council in a bid to meet a “clearly identified and significant shortfall” in burial plots within the borough of Rochdale.
The proposals have been passed from the Rochdale Township Planning Committee to the Regulatory Committee for a final decision.

Councillor Duckworth says that local people have been “shocked” to discover that the council can process its own planning applications.

He said: “As it is a quasi judicial body, it does seem against natural justice that the applicant can be its own judge and jury.

“In this case council planning officers have even answered residents objections, in the council's favour, in the reports presented to members prior to the meeting of the planning committee.”

Rochdale Borough Council’s Head of Planning and Regulation, Peter Rowlinson said: “When the council is both the applicant and the decision maker, the law sets out how councils, acting as the local planning authority, must fairly and properly decide the application. This includes responsibilities to consult with local residents, other relevant stakeholders and councillors. A key aim of this is to balance the concerns of local residents against the benefits of a planning proposal for all the borough’s residents.”


A copy of Councillor Duckworth’s letter is below:

Dear Mr Pickles,

I am a Conservative councillor on Rochdale MBC.

At present I am representing my ward members in their opposition to the creation of a new cemetery on green belt land. Irrespective of the pros and cons of the proposal, local people have been shocked to discover that the council can process its own planning applications. As it is a quasi judicial body, it does seem against natural justice that the applicant can be its own judge and jury.

In this case council planning officers have even answered residents objections, in the council's favour, in the reports presented to members prior to the meeting of the planning committee.

I do not mean to impinge on the honesty of council officers, but even the most unbiased of them must subconsciously lean towards approving a planning application that they have submitted, and officers recommendations do carry a great deal of weight with the councillors who sit on the planning committee.

In the interest of fairness, I would suggest that an independent body should process applications like this. It may not be too expensive, if perhaps adjoining councils have reciprocal agreements.

As the matter stands, justice is not being seen to done by members of the public . And this could further undermine people's already shaky faith in local government's openness and integrity.

Yours,
Councillor Ian Duckworth.
Bamford Ward
Rochdale