Councillors defend planning reversals
Determined Dudley councillors have vowed to continue to "flex their muscles" for the borough's residents – despite receiving a dressing down from the Government.
Determined Dudley councillors have vowed to continue to "flex their muscles" for the borough's residents – despite receiving a dressing down from the Government.
They have been blasted by Whitehall officials who say it is unacceptable that more than half of the appeals against planning decisions in Dudley have been upheld in the past two years. The Government's inspector in Bristol has overturned 55 per cent of Dudley Council's planning decisions it has been asked to consider since 2006.
This includes the rejection of an £18 million mosque scheme.
The national average is 35 per cent.
Members of the authority's development control committee will consider a report spelling out the situation at a meeting next week.
But as the committee prepares to face the music at its September 1 meeting, Councillor Geoffrey Southall has pledged the council will not shift its stance and claims it will continue to protect residents' interests.
He said: "I think they would like every application recommended for approval by our officers granted, which would get rid of the problem of appeals because there wouldn't be any.
"They want us to be a rubber-stamp committee.
"But I don't see it as a mark of shame the fact there is some implied criticism of us – I think we ought to be applauded.
"We are flexing our muscles."
The report into the appeal figures is the final item to be discussed on the development control agenda for next Monday's summit.
The appeals process gave rise to the hugely controversial mosque proposal receiving the green light earlier this year.
Dudley Muslim Association is drawing up final plans for a building on land in Hall Street after its appeal against Dudley Council's decision to reject the scheme was upheld last month.
Officers had advised planners to give the project the green light, despite 22,000 people putting their names to a petition against the mosque.
The development control committee said that it had rejected the plans because the land had been set aside for employment use.
