Complaint against the way a planning application in Guilsfield was dealt

In October, the council’s planning committee approved an outline planning application to build nine homes at the former Fairview garage in the middle of the village.

Guilsfield Community Council thought that the application was on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis, and had not given the county council an opinion on the scheme before it was decided.

Community council meetings were suspended from March to September, and during that time members had not met to discuss the application, which had also been submitted to the county council in March.

Community Council chairman Councillor Ian Harrison confirmed at a meeting on Wednesday, December 16, that the letter had been written and submitted and the formal complaint process started.

Councillor Harrison said: “As soon as I receive a reply I will advise you and send a copy of what they have to say.”

After the application had been approved, GCC had explored the possibility of holding a judicial review into the decision.

But the council was advised that legal route would be costly.

While the community council can’t appeal to overturn the decision it can complain about the “failure of process” in its handling, which could eventually be looked at by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

At a planning committee meeting on October 1, councillors were told that the community council, on finding out the application would be dealt with that day, had corresponded with the planning officers overnight.

Community council members understood they had more time to discuss the application.

Lead planning professional officer Peter Morris said that he understood the difficulties faced by community councils holding meetings through the Covid-19 lockdown, but GCC had enough time to submit a response.

Earlier this month, PCC issued a statement robustly defending their decision, stressing that GCC had “sufficient” time to comment before it was decided.