Members of Long Sutton Parish Council have voiced ‘disappointment’ over the handling of a review request.
The council had been hoping a request to South Holland District Council in August 2022 for an independent review would prove to be successful.
It was January this year, says the parish council, before it was notified by South Holland District Council that no action would be taken.
The council wants a review over an application by South Holland District Council member Jack Tyrrell.
He applied to change the use of a building at Silverwood Garden Centre, in Long Sutton’s Brown’s Gate.
The building should have been demolished as part of a planning application granted permission in 2016 for a replacement dwelling.
But the original building was retained for use as an office and storage for the garden centre in 2020.
South Holland District Council’s planning committee supported plans by Coun Tyrrell to return the building to residential use.
Coun Tyrrell took no part in the discussion at the meeting in July last year.
But the parish council was not happy and called for an independent review.
It had objected to the application and said the reason was so there was no increase in the number of homes on the site.
After complaining to the district council, the parish authority had wanted an investigation by the independent Local Government Ombudsman.
But the independent organisation said it couldn’t investigate as its remit did not include an ‘authority constituted for the purposes of the public service.’
It continues to call for further investigation.
But Coun Tyrrell said this week that he had broken no rules and had done nothing wrong.
“I went by the book. Everything is by the book. Planning law changes all the time, one minute you can do something, and the next time you can’t because the situation has changed.”
Long Sutton Parish Council had also contacted South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes.
“In his recent letter he added that he was unable to interfere with South Holland District Council,” said the parish council.
