Planning Nightmare

[dickymint]

borcy said:

I think this might have some legs yet.

It’s only been a week - planning meet once a month

[anonymous-user]

I now have an application via the portal - 4 weeks and still not started validation!
Bloody useless.

[Escort3500]

V6 Pushfit said:

I now have an application via the portal - 4 weeks and still not started validation!
Bloody useless.

What reason/s has the LPA given for the delay?

[anonymous-user]

Escort3500 said:

What reason/s has the LPA given for the delay?

Staff shortage and backlog

[Escort3500]

V6 Pushfit said:

Escort3500 said:

What reason/s has the LPA given for the delay?

Staff shortage and backlog

That’s disgraceful. If there are no technical shortcomings or missing info/drawings preventing registration then it’s simple enough for the LPA to register it; it’s not a drawn out process with modern IT systems. Have you tried speaking to the Devt Manager to get it moving? Failing that, I’d lobby your ward councillor.

[anonymous-user]

V6 Pushfit said:

I now have an application via the portal - 4 weeks and still not started validation!
Bloody useless.

Which council?

Mine sat on my plans for over a week before letting my architect know that they needed more details on the drawings to validate.

[blueg33]

V6 Pushfit said:

Escort3500 said:

What reason/s has the LPA given for the delay?

Staff shortage and backlog

That really pisses me off. The argument made for increased planning fees and charges for pre-apps and clearing conditions was around increasing the resources.

If you chase them, whats the betting they come up with some spurious to say they can't register it...........

fking hate planning!

[anonymous-user]

blueg33 said:

V6 Pushfit said:

Escort3500 said:

What reason/s has the LPA given for the delay?

Staff shortage and backlog

That really pisses me off. The argument made for increased planning fees and charges for pre-apps and clearing conditions was around increasing the resources.

If you chase them, whats the betting they come up with some spurious to say they can't register it...........

fking hate planning!

Yes that’ll be the next delay, for some trivial bit of additional info. Then another delay due to backlog and lack of staff while they process it again.

[blueg33]

V6 Pushfit said:

Yes that’ll be the next delay, for some trivial bit of additional info. Then another delay due to backlog and lack of staff while they process it again.

Then the officer will be on maternity leave
Then off for stress
then the consultations will be out of date and need re-doing
then they will write it up but miss the next 3 committees
then they will be in purdah
the the committee will defer it
the they will refuse on some pathetic grounds
then you will threaten appeal
then they will take it back to committee
then they will defer
then you will get consent with a list of pre-commencement conditions which despite you submitting the info with your application will take them 9 months to clear, except the officer will be on maternity leave again.

With luck in 2 years and taking a risk on a couple of pre-commencement condition you will be able to start on site.

I fking hate planning

[Highway Star]

All you applicants need to do is to start promoting a 2,000 home garden village in Northumberland and get *real* cosy with the senior Council planners - you'll find the wheels start moving more smoothly then...

https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18172895.exp...

This bit is the best:

"The applicant/advisers were invited/allowed by a very senior officer in the planning department to write and alter parts of the report to the strategic planning committee which recommended approval of the scheme"

I can't wait to start writing the committee reports for my applications!

Edited by Highway Star on Friday 31st January 15:49

[motco]

monthefish said:

Equus said:

Try not to let it get as far as a refusal, if you can - talk to the Planning Case Officer after the 4 week consultation period is up, and try to stay in the loop with them... if it starts to look like a refusal, it may be better to withdraw the application and rethink it.

^^^
Wise, wise words.

Someone I know (who was in the hands of an ineffective planning consultant) had their application refused, and then refused again on appeal. The reasons for the original refusal could easily have been mitigated and/or other precedents found, but now that the refusal is in place, they've got an insurmountable task in getting an approval now.

Edited by monthefish on Tuesday 29th January 11:24

It works both ways. My immediate neighbours to my last house wanted to build a very large two-storey extension to within a metre of the boundary of our properties. The gap previously had been about four metres their side and one metre mine. Neither house had been extended at that point and mine had windows to the landing and dining room (the only window to a habitable room) on the relevant side. The application went in and I made what must have seemed like an irrelevant objection which was dismissed as not being germane. The applicant did not take up the consent within the allotted time and it lapsed. Meanwhile I had mugged up on the appropriate factors, consulted a right-to-light consultant, and when the application was re-submitted with slight variation, I made my objections. The local authority sent an inspector round and he admitted that I had a valid basis for objection because the sole window in my dining room would be seriously occluded by a two storey building two metres away and extending several metres left and right of its centre line. However he then said that as the application was previously approved and no significant changes had been made to the plans, it was very unlikely indeed that it would be rejected now because it cast doubt on the competence of the previous inspector. It duly went through despite the visiting inspector agreeing it was unacceptable verbally.
We moved!

[anonymous-user]

blueg33 said:

V6 Pushfit said:

Yes that’ll be the next delay, for some trivial bit of additional info. Then another delay due to backlog and lack of staff while they process it again.

Then the officer will be on maternity leave
Then off for stress
then the consultations will be out of date and need re-doing
then they will write it up but miss the next 3 committees
then they will be in purdah
the the committee will defer it
the they will refuse on some pathetic grounds
then you will threaten appeal
then they will take it back to committee
then they will defer
then you will get consent with a list of pre-commencement conditions which despite you submitting the info with your application will take them 9 months to clear, except the officer will be on maternity leave again.

With luck in 2 years and taking a risk on a couple of pre-commencement condition you will be able to start on site.

I fking hate planning

We’ll be on the case on Monday.

It’s about all they can manage just to answer the phone - it takes half a day of trying each time.

[anonymous-user]

Actually, I've deleted all that apart from the useless s bit. Afterall, Colin's probably on...

[Equus]

V6 Pushfit said:

I now have an application via the portal - 4 weeks and still not started validation!
Bloody useless.

You might want to bone up on the DMPO, perhaps starting with this section, so that you know your rights and their legal obligations when you start thumping the table.

motco said:

... However he then said that as the application was previously approved and no significant changes had been made to the plans, it was very unlikely indeed that it would be rejected now because it cast doubt on the competence of the previous inspector.

In (slightly) more legally justifiable terms, there is an established principal in Planning law, in the interests of consistency, that previous Planning history is a 'material consideration' for new applications.

In other words, they're supposed to look at previous decisions, and remain consistent to them unless there is a clear reason not to.

[motco]

It was obvious, Equus, that arguing would be as productive as nailing jelly to the ceiling. Luckily we found buyers who regarded the neighbour's extension as a useful precedent for their own plans. My humble old 3 bed detached 1938 house in Beaconsfield is now a five bedroomed mansion filling a forty feet wide plot from side to side according to the neighbour the other side.

[Turn7]

motco said:

It was obvious, Equus, that arguing would be as productive as nailing jelly to the ceiling. Luckily we found buyers who regarded the neighbour's extension as a useful precedent for their own plans. My humble old 3 bed detached 1938 house in Beaconsfield is now a five bedroomed mansion filling a forty feet wide plot from side to side according to the neighbour the other side.

Ledborough Lane ?

[motco]

Turn7 said:

motco said:

It was obvious, Equus, that arguing would be as productive as nailing jelly to the ceiling. Luckily we found buyers who regarded the neighbour's extension as a useful precedent for their own plans. My humble old 3 bed detached 1938 house in Beaconsfield is now a five bedroomed mansion filling a forty feet wide plot from side to side according to the neighbour the other side.

Ledborough Lane ?

No, not Barry Gibb's road - Holtspur Top Lane. We were there for thirty five years.

[sospan]

I find it disturbing that Colin is still in his position both as on the Planning Committee and a Councillor.
The findings of the investigators recommended his Planning position be ended due to clear reasons.
Point 1. He has shown a lack of integrity as an elected person serving on a legally prescribed process of planning, ignoring the decisions of qualified professionals and using spite to influence his actions.
Point 2. The Council has ignored the decision re his position within planning or are unable to oust him. Those deciding this see no reason to uphold the decisions re his removal. There is no procedure to invoke removal outside a criminal conviction.
Point 3. What will happen when election time comes round? Will he run for office again? Will voters be aware of his behaviour? Will they back him?
If he were an employee how would it have been dealt with? Perhaps as a case of misconduct, possibly gross, with suspension, warnings, even dismissal! There are set procedures for employees but less stringent for elected officials.
Just musing......does he know Dominic Cummings? Stephen Kinnock? Others are available for comparison.

Edited by sospan on Monday 15th June 13:17

[paulrockliffe]

sospan said:

I find it disturbing that Colin is still in his position both as on the Planning Committee and a Councillor.
The findings of the investigators recommended his Planning position be ended due to clear reasons.
Point 1. He has shown a lack of integrity as an elected person serving on a legally prescribed process of planning, ignoring the decisions of qualified professionals and using spite to influence his actions.
Point 2. The Council has ignored the decision re his position within planning or are unable to oust him. Those deciding this see no reason to uphold the decisions re his removal. There is no procedure to invoke removal outside a criminal conviction.
Point 3. What will happen when election time comes round? Will he run for office again? Will voters be aware of his behaviour? Will they back him?
If he were an employee how would it have been dealt with? Perhaps as a case of misconduct, possibly gross, with suspension, warnings, even dismissal! There are set procedures for employees but less stringent for elected officials.
Just musing......does he know Dominic Cummings? Stephen Kinnock? Others are available for comparison.

Edited by sospan on Monday 15th June 13:17

I'm hopeful Equus is going to do a leaflet drop around election time.

I know there are democratic reasons why the electors get to decide who their Councillors are, but I don't think anyone would care if Councillors were kicked out for stuff like this. I'm sure if it was put to the people we'd happily hold anyone elected to the highest possible standard. Unfortunately it's the elected people that make the rules, see how the provisions for Parliamentary recall were watered down to the point of almost pointlessness.

[dickymint]

paulrockliffe said:

sospan said:

I find it disturbing that Colin is still in his position both as on the Planning Committee and a Councillor.
The findings of the investigators recommended his Planning position be ended due to clear reasons.
Point 1. He has shown a lack of integrity as an elected person serving on a legally prescribed process of planning, ignoring the decisions of qualified professionals and using spite to influence his actions.
Point 2. The Council has ignored the decision re his position within planning or are unable to oust him. Those deciding this see no reason to uphold the decisions re his removal. There is no procedure to invoke removal outside a criminal conviction.
Point 3. What will happen when election time comes round? Will he run for office again? Will voters be aware of his behaviour? Will they back him?
If he were an employee how would it have been dealt with? Perhaps as a case of misconduct, possibly gross, with suspension, warnings, even dismissal! There are set procedures for employees but less stringent for elected officials.
Just musing......does he know Dominic Cummings? Stephen Kinnock? Others are available for comparison.

Edited by sospan on Monday 15th June 13:17

I'm hopeful Equus is going to do a leaflet drop around election time.

I know there are democratic reasons why the electors get to decide who their Councillors are, but I don't think anyone would care if Councillors were kicked out for stuff like this. I'm sure if it was put to the people we'd happily hold anyone elected to the highest possible standard. Unfortunately it's the elected people that make the rules, see how the provisions for Parliamentary recall were watered down to the point of almost pointlessness.

Assuming it's Town Council as opposed to County, if it's anything like my town there wont be elections as ours are rarely contested!