Plans for homes on land attached to councillor’s rented house get go-ahead
PLANS for two new houses on land attached to a house rented by a councillor have been approved by Coventry’s planning committee.
But a member of the committee has hit out at suggestions the councillor used their position to get the application through.
An outline application for the erection of two houses and garages at Pickford House Cottage, Pickford Green Lane, was approved on Thursday.
The application relates to a property a councillor is currently living in, with Cllr Jayne Innes having listed it in her pecuniary interests.
A report drafted to the planning committee said the site was removed from the green belt as part of Local Plan adopted in December 2017.
But an officer’s report stated: “There are concerns that that it will be perceived by local residents that a councillor has used their position to get this land removed from the greenbelt.”
An angry Cllr John McNicholas said: “I am not prepared to allow any inference at all that we as a planning committee are prepared to turn a blind eye.
“We are conscientious in the work that we do and that sort of throw-away comment should be discounted as strongly as possible as it has implications.
“Quite clearly if we are seen to have our snout in the trough we could go to jail, so to have these comments makes me extremely angry.”
A solicitor confirmed the decision to remove the land from the green belt was made by a planning inspector in Bristol.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Innes said: “We just rent the house so it is nothing to do with me. I have no benefits from the building on the garden.
“This land was taken out of the green belt in 2017 - it is absolutely nothing to do with me and everybody is clear on that.”
Councillor Glenn Williams spoke against the plan during the meeting, accusing it of being ‘garden grabbing.’
He said the site is not in keeping with the Ancient Arden landscape, and should not be part of the Sustainable Urban Extension.
He said: “It cannot be argued we need to have these two houses because of a supposed shortage of housing, when this is directly adjacent to land which we have directly allocated to over 2,000 houses.”
He also cited a similar planning application in the road for three houses which was refused in January, adding the same should be done for this application. Cllr Pervez Akhtar said: “This application was taken out of a green belt and the other application was in a green belt.”
Agent David James, who said he was acting on behalf of the applicant, ‘Mrs Craig,’ said: “Officers fully support it. It meets the relevant local and national planning policy. This is a well designed scheme appropriate for it’s location.”
Councillors gave the application unanimous approval.