Rejected plans for a police station have been appealed
REJECTED Tamworth police station proposals have been appealed, it has now been confirmed.
Tamworth Borough Council’s planning committee voted against the application for the conversion of and extension to the existing five storey former Spinning School Lane police station building to form 54 residential units with spaces for 40 cars and 54 bicycles last year citing reasons such as parking in a lengthy meeting.
The station, which still lies empty and is an eyesore on that part of the town, was in use until around May 2019, when Staffordshire Constabulary vacated the premises and moved to a new, purpose-built facility in nearby Belgrave.
A hearing on the appeal is expected in June with a decision by late August.
A letter from the Planning Inspectorate to Tamworth Borough Council, located within the application uploaded late last month on the council’s planning portal, now confirms: “We have received appeal forms and documents for this site. The papers have been checked and the appeal appears to be valid. If we later find out that this is not so, then we will let you know.
“The Planning Inspectorate is committed to speeding up decisions on appeals that need a hearing. As of 1 April, 2022, all validly received planning appeals that require a hearing will be subject to stricter timescales and will follow a timetable that adopts the principles set out in the Rosewell independent review of planning appeal inquiries.
“The event date is fixed and cannot be changed as it is based on Inspector availability and programmed to ensure we meet our aim of issuing a decision within 24 weeks of the appeal being considered as valid.
“We currently consider this appeal suitable to follow the hearing procedure. The date of this letter is the starting date for the appeal and for the timetable it will follow.
“The hearing will open on Tuesday, 11 June. We currently anticipate one sitting day will be needed and we propose the event be scheduled as an in-person, face to face event, which will require a suitable venue. A site inspection will be arranged separately. The decision is expected to be issued on or before 30 August.”
For more search for application number 0261/2022 at https://planning.tamworth.gov.uk/northgate/ planningexplorer/generalsearch. aspx.
“We currently consider this appeal suitable to follow the hearing procedure. The date of this letter is the starting date for the appeal.”