Council and democracy

Appeal decision triggers renewed council call for democratic planning

Despite significant local opposition against the development in Sefton Road, the planning inspectorate has overturned the council's decision to refuse permission.

The council had argued that the proposal's size and massing would be an overdevelopment of the site and would be out of keeping with the area. Nor was it a high standard of design and layout. However, while agreeing the architectural detailing would be 'different', the inspector ruled that the development could be absorbed into the area 'without serious harm'.

Although strongly disagreeing with this conclusion, the council recognises it has no further opportunity to challenge the outcome. And it also fears that by adopting an approach that gives high priority to local residents' views and refusing a higher proportion of planning applications, it could incur substantial costs.

The dilemma means the council is dusting down the resolution it made earlier this year to urge a more democratic approach to planning decisions. At the time the council formally expressed its dismay that government planning inspectors were continuing to overturn decisions made by locally-elected members, council leader Mike Fisher addressed the subject in an issue of Your Croydon sent to every home in the borough. "Even when local representatives take account of local circumstances when deciding a local planning issue they can be overturned by a largely anonymous bureaucrat with no knowledge of our borough - a worrying erosion of the democratic principle."

Now, new cabinet member for planning, Councillor Jason Perry, is preparing to step up the call for a planning approach that doesn't leave key decisions in the hands of distant inspectors who have no understanding of the borough or desires of the local community.

"This isn't about nimbyism; it's about protecting residents from aggressive developers who are being encouraged to prey on our borough and change its characteristics. Where we're not in direct conflict with national planning regulations and policies we refuse speculative applications that we regard as inappropriate or will result in unsustainable pressures. That, though, does increase the risk of costs being awarded against the council. So it's time for a change

"We feel strongly that local planning matters should be left in the hands of locally elected people who know the area and have a democratic mandate. This was the basis of our approach to the Secretary of State earlier in the year. We told Ms Blears that national planning policy doesn't go anywhere near far enough in discouraging the development of back gardens and backland sites."

Councillor Perry said he was not impressed by the response received from housing and planning minister Caroline Flint who said she was sorry that Croydon considered its efforts to balance housing development with residential impact were being undermined by planning inspectors on appeal. She said: "While planning inspectors may decide to uphold appeals, this does not mean that they have disregarded the views of councillors or local residents - merely that they have attributed different weight to the issues in coming to their decision."

Added Councillor Perry: "The minister's claims that she is preventing inappropriate development in residential areas or on garden land are not supported by the evidence. Last year applications involving 315 new homes, which the council originally refused, were later permitted on appeal. This hardly suggests a government giving councils more flexibility to shape new development according to local needs, as Ms Flint maintains. 

"We will use every opportunity available to us to emphasise the credibility gap that is emerging between what ministers are saying and what planning inspectors are doing."