The chairman of South Holland District Council’s planning committee has criticised the government for giving residents “false hope” over planning applications with the introduction of Localism.
The comments by Conservative member Coun Roger Gambba-Jones came in light of the planning inspector’s decision to allow Market Homes to build on the cleared site of the former Dun Cow site in Barrier Bank, Cowbit.
The group Campaign to Save The Dun Cow successfully applied for the site to be listed on the district council’s Community Asset Register late last year. Buildings or land can be nominated for inclusion if they further their community’s well-being and are likely to continue to.
However, the council de-listed the site earlier this year after admitting to procedural mistakes in listing it.
Coun Gambba-Jones said of the planning appeal decision: “It’s all got a bit mixed up with the Community Asset issue, which I believe created a bit of a smokescreen.
“It just goes to show how complicated the government is making planning. Mixing it up with Localism leads us down a very difficult road.
“The government has made a mess of planning and we’re going to get more and more of these situations.
“The community did their best. They were given, to some extent, false hope with Localism, which applies to the policy creation stage rather than the regulatory stage at planning committee.
“Whilst people feel very strongly about an issue and read the headlines about Localism giving them a voice with some strength, the truth is it won’t because we cannot ignore the planning policy that is already in place.
“I can fully understand that they get frustrated.”
