The chair of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association has described yesterday’s planning committee meeting, at which councillors approved controversial plans to build 200 homes at the former police training centre, as a “shambles” and “embarrassing”.
Councillors debated the application from Homes England, the government’s housing agency, for three hours. Concerns were raised about traffic congestion and the loss of a football pitch on the site.
The planning committee had previously voted in June against a recommendation to approve the application.
Councillors said back then that the scheme should not be passed until publication of the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, a document that will assess transport and infrastructure needs associated with wider plans to build up to 4,000 homes on the western side of Harrogate.
Councillors were told this week a draft version of the parameters plan would not be published until February 2022 but, this time, they decided to approve the plans by seven votes to three.
Rene Dziabas, chair of HAPARA, criticised the decision of councillors on the committee, who he said were “badly briefed” by officers.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“The meeting was a shambles. What communication was there between councillors and the planning department? Given this was a controversial deferral in June, you’d have thought there would have been a great deal of detail buttoned down, and a clear understanding from councillors about what the parameters plan is.
“I felt very let down [by the councillors]”.
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David Stephenson, senior planning manager at Homes England, warned councillors that while launching a costly appeal against the council was an “absolute last resort” for the body it was a route it was willing to take.
During the meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Marsh accused Homes England of “bullying” councillors into approving the plans.
Mr Dziabas said the decision to grant planning permission in the face of impending legal action from Homes England had damaged local democracy.
He added:
“There’s a great deal of talk about local democracy — this was not a good example of it.”
