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27
Nov 2020
Harrogate Borough Council has defended its planning department after a former planner told the Stray Ferret it 'has been in a state of disarray' for two decades.
David Howarth, who was employed by the council for five years in the 1980s and then worked for it as a private consultant for 30 years, spoke to the Stray Ferret to give us his views after reading our series of planning and housing articles this week.
In statement released to the Stray Ferret, a council spokesman robustly defended the performance of the planning department:
Mr Howarth said the council’s "weak resistance" to builders contrasted with its "heavy-handed" approach to residents seeking planning permission — an accusation that the council denied.
The spokesman said:
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