Town hall chiefs break their own planning rules

A CONTROVERSIAL new college building has been approved despite bosses admitting the council’s own work had started without planning permission.

The proposals to erect a two-storey modular building in the car park of Hyde Community College by Tameside council had caused widespread dismay among nearby residents, with 26 objecting to the plans.

Mike Hughes, who lived opposite the potential development, had spoken out after it appeared work was beginning without planning permission when construction workers and machinery moved on site in July.

The council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it had commenced site investigations and utility surveys, which was ‘normal practice’.

However, at a meeting of the planning committee last month to decide on the application, it was revealed that residents’ fears had been vindicated - and work had begun with no planning permission being granted.

Despite this, councillors on the panel voted unanimously to allow the development to proceed.

Addressing the panel, objector Andrew White said that a claim by the college that earlier works were ground investigations ‘clearly wasn’t true’.

“The building of significant foundations including those above ground for the last 30 days included continuous noise of pounding jack-hammer drills, JCBs and diggers and lorries as early as 7.30am,” he added.

“This makes such a mockery of planning applications and procedures in our opinion.”

Martyn Leigh, Tameside’s development manager, said: “In my role as the representative for the local planning authority, I’ve made it quite clear that no works should be carried out without planning permission where it’s required, and that applies equally to the council for its own applications.”

Paul Smith, the council’s assistant director of strategic property, spoke on behalf of the application.

He said he wanted to ‘apologise’ for work beginning without permission.

“Why the contractor was on site without planning is the subject of an internal investigation and actions are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.” The proposals are part of a scheme by the council to increase the intake at the secondary school from 210 pupils to 240 a year.

The new modular building will contain three classrooms and two science laboratories, allowing the former construction shed to be used as an additional indoor dining space.