Missing letters lead to delay

A decision on a planning application for 36 apartments in Boughton was deferred on Tuesday after it was alleged that a letter of objection had not been received.

The application by Stallion Properties Ltd was for 21/2 and three storey apartments on the corner of Kirk Drive.

Committee members were told all the information had not been received and it was recommended that they defer a decision.

In a letter to the head of planning, Mr Mike Evans, a district councillor for the area, Mr Dean Nixon, said his objections along with those of three neighbours and comments from the police appeared to be missing from the agenda.

Mr Nixon provided some of the letters again but the council was unable to get comments that were said to have been submitted by Mr and Mrs Badger of Prospect House, Main Road, Boughton.

Mr Nixon said it was a serious matter and asked for a full inquiry and for measures to be taken to ensure a similar thing did not happen again.

He said: “How many other times has this taken place?

“Unless an objector were a councillor or attended the relevant planning committee meeting, which is not always possible, they would never discover their objections had not been submitted to the committee.”

A committee member, Mr Roger Blaney, said it was the responsibility of the applicant or objector to make sure any correspondence was received by the council.

He said the target date for a decision on the application was January 29 and the council was closely monitored by the Government and any delay would affect the council’s performance.

He said: “I am very concerned we would defer for an alleged letter which was allegedly sent but nobody can prove it.”

Mr Evans, had recommended the plans for the two-bedroom apartments, in two blocks of 18, be granted subject to two units of low-cost housing being provided on the site and a payment of £30,000 towards low-cost housing elsewhere in Ollerton and Boughton.

There was also a condition for a financial contribution for the provision or improvement of children’s playing space in the town.

Ollerton and Boughton Town Council objected on the grounds of design, impact on neighbouring properties, over-intensification of the site and highways.

One letter of objection was received from a resident that said the height, size and density of the development was not in keeping with the surrounding area.