Planning chief attacks own department

May 22 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A COUNCIL planning chief is challenging his own authority – because he says they have taken too long to make a decision on his personal planning application.

Brian Douglas, chairman of Berwick Upon Tweed planning committee, is taking the authority to appeal on the grounds of non determination on his planning development in Mill Strand, Tweedmouth.

Coun Douglas has also launched a scathing attack on the planning department which he said was not performing as it should be.

He told The Journal: “The fact is that the council hasn’t given a decision within the prescribed time and therefore they are not applying the rules. As a member of the planning committee this is something I consistently see happening at Berwick.

“You can make all the excuses under the sun about short staff, but the simple fact is that the department isn’t performing as it should be. I have no sympathy whatsoever. We are exercising our right to reapply.

“We should have had a decision on April 1 and that hasn’t happened because of the way the organisation is set up. I want this department to improve.”

The application is to demolish a storage building on the site, which lies in a conservation area, and replace it with five homes, and was submitted to the council on February 6.

While the application has been made on land that Coun Douglas owns, it is made in the name of his grandson Simon Eltringham.

Coun Douglas said that was because the property had been in the family for more than 40 years and he was “preparing for the future” having just celebrated his 61st birthday.

Under planning rules an applicant is entitled to take an authority to appeal with the planning inspectorate after a period of eight weeks

Coun Douglas added: “The problem we have in Berwick is that as a council we have been officer led for so long. I am a Berwicker, born and bred, and I want Berwick to survive and prosper.

“There are people who come into jobs who don’t have the local knowledge, and they lack the commitment on the future of Berwick. I will play it my way.”

The site has a history of planning applications, the first coming in 2004 when an outline application was made to develop it. This was later withdrawn.

A similar application to the most recent was also submitted to the council in the autumn of 2006, to carry out the demolition and build seven homes on the site.

It was refused as planners considered it “excessive”.

Coun Douglas appealed against that decision, but was turned down by the Planning Inspectorate last August.

Coun Douglas was elected to represent Berwick North as an independent candidate on the new Northumberland unitary authority earlier this month.

A council spokesman said: “We make every effort possible to ensure that applications are dealt with within the timeframe set by the Government.”