Councils at loggerheads over Guilsfield garage plans

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Guilsfield Community Council (GCC) have written a formal complaint to Powys County Council (PCC) over the way they dealt with a planning application in the village.

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

GCC thought that the application was on hold due to the Covid-19 crisis, and had not given PCC an opinion on the scheme before it was decided. GCC 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 PCC in March.

But PCC responded to criticism by saying that the community council was emailed a week prior to the planning meeting and had been given sufficient time to consider the application. 

GCC chairman Cllr Ian Harrison confirmed at a meeting last night that the letter had been written and submitted and the formal complaint process started.

Cllr Harrison said: “At the last meeting you asked me to write a formal letter of complaint  regarding the administration of the Fairview Garage planning application, I have done that.

“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 GCC 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 the PCC planning committee meeting on October 1, councillors were told that GCC, on finding out the application would be dealt with that day, had corresponded with the planning officers overnight.

GCC explained that 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.

Mr Morris also told councillors that the planning case officer that GCC had initially dealt with had left PCC at the end of May.

Mr Morris said: “I was always making the point to community councils that you may struggle to meet, but that does not stop you providing comments.

“We have a paying customer here that wants us to make a decision.”