Allerdale council has made a public apology over its handling of a councillor's planning application. The Local Government Ombudsman recommended that the council apologised publicly over errors it made when dealing with Councillor Jim Lister's application for a wind turbine at Oughterside Mill, Oughterside.
Allerdale council has made a public apology over its handling of a councillor's planning application. The Local Government Ombudsman recommended that the council apologised publicly over errors it made when dealing with Councillor Jim Lister's application for a wind turbine at Oughterside Mill, Oughterside.
Allerdale council has made a public apology over its handling of a councillor's planning application.
The Local Government Ombudsman recommended that the council apologised publicly over errors it made when dealing with Councillor Jim Lister's application for a wind turbine at Oughterside Mill, Oughterside.
The plans were discussed at two development panel meetings in November.
Objectors raised concerns over the meetings with the Local Government Ombudsman.
They were concerned that Coun Lister, a member of the development panel, addressed colleagues about the application.
The panel approved the application but objectors were concerned that the decision disregarded council planning policy.
They were concerned that Coun Martin …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Allerdale council has made a public apology over its handling of a councillor's planning application.
The Local Government Ombudsman recommended that the council apologised publicly over errors it made when dealing with Councillor Jim Lister's application for a wind turbine at Oughterside Mill, Oughterside.
The plans were discussed at two development panel meetings in November.
Objectors raised concerns over the meetings with the Local Government Ombudsman.
They were concerned that Coun Lister, a member of the development panel, addressed colleagues about the application.
The panel approved the application but objectors were concerned that the decision disregarded council planning policy.
They were concerned that Coun Martin Wood stated there had been no objections from residents within 800 metres of the site and was not corrected, and alleged that Coun Wood was over familiar with Coun Lister during the meeting.
They were also concerned that minutes of the meeting did not detail the panel’s basis for planning approval.
The ombudsman said found there had been procedural faults.
He recommended that the council should make a public apology at a development panel meeting and keep a copy of the apology on file.
Andrew Seekings, corporate director, made the apology on Tuesday.
He said: "At the meetings of the development panel on November 4 2014 and November 25 2014, the members considered and resolved to grant approval of planning application 2/2014/0582 for a proposed wind turbine at Oughterside Mill, Oughterside.
"In taking the decision to grant planning permission the panel took into account the economic benefits of the proposed turbine to the host farm and that, in their view, the proposed turbine would have limited visual impact and would not have a significant adverse effect in terms of the cumulative impact in the surrounding area.
"These matters were material planning considerations weighing in favour of the grant of planning permission.
"The ombudsman has found fault on procedural issues and the way the development Panel had been conducted.
"On behalf of the council, I sincerely apologise to the public in relation to what happened at the meetings of the development panel and the way the panel made their decision in relation to the application.
"We accept that the faults in process and procedure at the development panel meetings caused the perception that the planning decision making procedure was not fair.
"Good governance, transparency and fairness are important to us at Allerdale and we have reviewed and improved our working practices and procedures.
"These improvements include how we make and record our decisions; the conduct and appropriate level of formality for development panel meetings, particularly in light of the LGA guidance and how it deals with applications.
"We also have suitable training arrangements in place to ensure that good governance is embedded within the process.
"It is important to say that the council will learn lessons from the process and I hope that these improvements provide the public with confidence in the democratic process and in our commitment to ensure that community involvement is central to the planning process."