Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price has welcomed the Government's decision to refer the Planning application for the London Fire Brigade land to a public enquiry. The decision follows representations made by the MP to the Secretary of State regarding questions over the integrity of the process by which the decision was made.
Jackie said, "the decision taken by the committee flies in the face of Thurrrock's agreed planning policies. It is on the greenbelt and it is not a site which has been identified for housing under the council's local plan.
I do question whether some members of the planning committee understand their role. It is the planning committee's job to approve or decline planning applications in line with council policy. To listen to members of the committee the council is simply a staging post with the ultimate decision being made by the Secretary of State. This simply isn't the case. The Secretary of State will only override a decision made locally if it hasn't been made fairly. Let us be clear. Thurrock council is the planning authority and the responsibility for planning decisions and planning policy rests with Thurrock council and no one else. That is localism.
So either councillors need training so that they properly understand the planning process or they are wilfully trying to mislead the public to escape accountability for their decisions. Neither is acceptable or conducive to the effective exercise of the planning function in Thurrock.
I am reminded of the Collison report of June 2010 which found serious flaws in Thurrock's planning process, including green belt decisions.
Collison found that "where committee decisions are made contary to officer recommendations which are based on policy and the decisions are made without adequate explanation, interested observers may conclude that councillors are working to alternative unstated agendas." It is why the transparency which will be brought by the planning enquiry is very much needed."