Following the outcry spurred by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) report on a case at Northampton Borough Council, The Planning Portal writes that ‘Planners must ensure they refer to the correct legislation when considering applications affecting heritage sites, the Local Government Ombudsman has stressed.’
The Planning Portal writes:
The watchdog has highlighted this requirement following a complaint about Northampton Borough Council whose planning officers recommended councillors grant planning permission for a café extension in a conservation area, within a short distance of a Grade 1 listed building.
The planning officer involved in determining the application consulted with the council’s conservation officer, who said any works to the café would impact upon the setting of the listed building and upon the character and appearance of the conservation area.
But the planning officer omitted the conservation officer’s recommendation in his report to members and recommended approval of the application…
The council has accepted the watchdog’s report and apologised to the complainant. In a statement it said it had begun to implement the Ombudsman’s recommendations. ‘On this occasion the service we provide clearly fell short of what people have a right to expect and we apologise.’
Read more at The Planning Portal and see IHBC NewsBlogs
