Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
Over the last few weeks, council meetings across Lancashire have discussed planning reforms that the government say are necessary to ‘get Britain building’.
That’s particularly noteworthy because of their commitment to build over a million homes over the course of this parliament.
Critics believe it is taking power away from local communities - something that doesn’t fit with the sentiment new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has tried to encourage through devolution.
But there is also a sense that developments can be delayed unnecessarily by councillors who know they can maintain their position by being seen to oppose unpopular plans in the knowledge that the decision will be overturned on a government appeal. That leads to avoidable delays.
It’s a complex issue and it’s the topic of today’s edition.
Lancashire briefing
🚙 Councillors who cited pothole repair data obtained by The Lancashire Lead in Thursday’s full council meeting have been asked to correct the record and withdraw their statements.
The data, which was published by The Lancashire Lead on Sunday after Lancashire County Council refused to share it with the public and opposition councillors, showed poor performance when it comes to repairing potholes within a targeted timeframe over the winter period.
Lancashire County Council has maintained it has accuracy concerns over the data - and that the roads have improved considerably over the summer - but opposition councillors maintain the roads last winter speak for themselves.
Lancashire County Council has conceded the condition of the roads over the winter was not good enough, but ruling Reform UK has said it was playing catch-up due to the state they were left in by the previous administration.
The authority is concerned that when opposition councillors shared the data - and spoke in full council - they did not include the context that Lancashire County Council contested its own data.
💨 A mill which has been derelict for over 20 years could be bought out by the council.
The Grade II-listed Waterside Mill in Bacup has stood in a state of disrepair for 23 years, becoming a ‘blight’ for the local community. The Burnley Road building, which was constructed in 1839, suffered a major fire in 2003 and has since been targeted by vandals and fly tipping.
It was said to be ‘dangerous’ in 2020, with planning heads adding the ‘whole building was in a compromised state’. But now there could be big changes on the horizon, with Rossendale Council set to buy it out before a refurbishment takes place.
A report prepared for the cabinet meeting today reads the council is seeking a compulsory purchase order (CPO).
CPOs are where public bodies such as councils can buy buildings and land without the permission of their owners.
In this case, Rossendale Council said it has made ‘numerous attempts’ to establish contact with the mill’s owners but they have moved overseas and are ‘untraceable’, with their limited company having been dissolved in 2013.
🗳️ A Reform UK councillor who serves on Lancashire County Council and Hyndburn Council has been branded ableist - something he has strongly denied - after describing a disabled Labour by-election candidate as a ‘Stevie Wonder lookalike’.
The furore unfolded over the weekend, following Cllr Joel Tetlow’s comment on social media beneath a photo of the Hyndburn Labour group canvassing ahead of the upcoming Huncoat by-election.
The poll is being held on Nov 12, following the death of long-serving councillor Dave Parkins in September, and will be a close race between Labour and Reform. The latter received 49 per cent of the vote in the traditionally Labour seat at May’s Local Elections.
Labour’s candidate for the by-election, Jackie Rawstron, who is visually impaired and uses a walking aid, shared the canvassing picture on Saturday (October 17), with the caption: “Had a fantastic few hours out and about delivering some leaflets and meeting lots of you on the doorstep. Loads of support which was lovely. I really appreciate each and every lovely message I get”.
Responding to a member of the public asking which person in the group photo was Ms Rawstron, Cllr Tetlow made a comparison to the blind American musician, saying: “The Stevie Wonder lookalike”.
Calls to suspend Cllr Tetlow have been ignored and he ‘categorically’ denies any accusation of ableism saying that his joke has being weaponised by political opponents.
Disquiet in Lancashire at planning reforms taking power from councillors to ‘get Britain building’
By Jamie Lopez
Lancashire councils have expressed anger and concern over the government’s new planning laws amid accusations local voices are being lost from the decision making process.
Multiple local authorities have voiced objections to the National Planning Scheme of Delegation which comes into effect at the end of the month - but unlike others in the North West will still adopt the scheme in its constitution.
The government is reforming planning laws in a bid to speed up development, with ministers arguing that planning reform is essential as it struggles on its way to a target of delivering 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament.
It has sloganned to back “the builders, not the blockers” but must now face up to opposition from those who fear that powers are being moved from local decision makers in direct contradiction to its devolution commitments.
Once the laws take effect, a scheme of delegation will be created that effectively means that council planning officers, rather than elected representatives, will decide the vast majority of applications using national policy and each council’s local plan to inform their decision.
The changes are intended to bring greater consistency to local decision making and reduce the number of applications which are deemed to be being unnecessarily considered by planning committees.
As a result, ward councillors will lose the ability to call in ‘Schedule 1’ applications to be decided by committee. These include such as householder development, minor residential or commercial developments, discharge of conditions, certificates of lawfulness applications.
It also includes reserved matters approved - when outline permission is approved but finer details such as design and layout are decided afterwards - if the development is for fewer than 500 homes.
All of those developments will still be bound by legal frameworks.
Among those to have voted not to adopt the changes are Bolton, Central Bedfordshire and Tameside, with the latter being particularly notable as it crosses over with the constituency of Angela Raynor who is overseeing the changes in her role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
In refusing to incorporate the new rules into their constitutions, the councils have been warned that their future decisions could be considered unlawful and ultimately give developers more control through successful appeals.
Speaking to The Lancashire Lead, Cllr Mark Jewell said he also has concerns over the changes. The Liberal Democrat, who represents Preston South West division on Lancashire County Council and Lea and Larches ward on Preston City Council, said that all of the recent call-in he is aware of locally fell under schedule one and would therefore not be eligible for this process anymore.
He said: “When you talk about devolution, it’s the idea of putting a voice as close to the community as you possibly can. This would seem to take that voice away.”
Cllr Jewell referenced a controversial proposed redevelopment of the former West’s Carpets & Furnishings building on Lane Ends which started with an application for two shops and two flats but during the planning process was modified to three shops and six homes.
He was among those who considered it to be over intensification of the site and the committee ultimately voted to reject the plans despite council officers recommended approval. Earlier this month, the government’s planning inspectorate rejected an appeal against the decision but it is feared that under the new rules it would be harder for councillors to have their say.
Cllr Jewell said such examples weren’t about rejecting any development but instead have the ability to reflect residents’ concerns and ensure such builds are appropriate for the setting.
“We’re not there to object, we’re there to express genuine concerns in the community. I have welcomed investment in the area but it’s got to be in the best interest of the local community rather than against it.
“It seems odd to us that Andy Burnham - and I think he’s made a really good start to his premiership actually - talks about devolution and then he takes powers away from local representatives.”
Last week, West Lancashire Borough Council voted to formally record its opposition to the changes but did not join the other councils in refusing to adopt them. The council was controlled by Labour until this May’s local election and is now run by what is effectively a coalition of Conservatives and members of the Our West Lancashire (OWL) group.