Planning rejections see council facing large bill
Inspector said authority behaved ‘unreasonably’
Rejecting two planning applications against the advice of officers has seen Arun District Council accused of ‘unreasonable behaviour’ and facing thousands of pounds in costs.
The first application, for a single chapel crematorium in Yapton, was turned down in October 2019 because members of the development control committee had concerns about safety at the A259 turn-off.
The second, for seven homes in East Preston, was refused in February as it was feared that the lack of parking spaces would lead to a knockon effect in neighbouring roads.
Both decisions have been overturned by a planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, who said the council had demonstrated ‘unreasonable behaviour resulting in unnecessary or wasted expense’.
His ruling could leave Arun out of pocket by as much as £33,000.
This is not the first time planning refusals have left the council with a hefty bill for costs.
In May, £11,400 was paid from the planning department’s budget after a decision to refuse outline plans for up to 31 homes in Shripney Road, Bognor, was appealed.
This time around, though, there is not enough money in the budget to cover the looming costs.
The matter will be discussed at a meeting of the cabinet on January 11, where members will be asked to agree to the planning budget being supplemented.
In a report to the cabinet, director of place Karl Roberts highlighted some of the inspector’s comments.
While agreeing that the development control committee did not have to follow officers’ advice, the inspector pointed out that there had been ‘very little evidence’ to show that the technical information given in support of the applications had been ‘flawed or factually wrong’.
Mr Roberts added: “The learning here is that the council should be very wary of refusing an application supported by technical evidence unless there is technical evidence to support the council’s position.”
The cabinet meeting will be held online, starting at 5pm on Monday January 11.
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