Planners are sending out the wrong message - when will action be taken?

HATHERN Parish Council contacted the Echo in March regarding the planning process as applied by Charnwood Borough Council.

One of the issues we raised was the ability of some applicants to build in advance of receiving planning permission, or deliberately build something different from that approved, with Charnwood Borough Council then granting retrospective approval.

What better example to illustrate our concern than the situation in Anstey where Jelson Homes has disregarded planning conditions.

Anstey Parish Council has said it is “deeply concerned about the work that Jelsons have already carried out and continues to carry out” on the land. “Despite this breach of planning conditions, Charnwood Borough Council decided not to serve a ‘Temporary Stop Notice’ on Jelson, as the current site works are not considered to be causing public harm.

“Anstey Parish Council deplores this lack of a more positive response by Charnwood Borough Council in not taking any enforcement action against Jelson.”

We agree with Anstey Parish Council that this practice by the borough council sends the wrong signal and undermines public confidence in the system.

Do Charnwood’s planners not understand that regular capitulation to developers does cause considerable harm to the residents of Charnwood in sending a message that planning conditions in this borough can be ignored?

When are the borough councillors, and particularly those on the Plans Committee, going to take action on this?

Dave Neville vice chair Hathern Parish Council