12:40pm Wednesday 10th March 2010
By David Paine
A SOCIAL housing provider angrily withdrew an application to build five new homes in Worcester when planners only decided the site was unsuitable for development after 18 months work.
Bosses at Worcester Community Housing (WCH) said they were “extremely disappointed” with that decision which they say has cost them about £8,000 in developing and aborting plans for five new two-bed homes on a site they own in Patterdale Drive, Warndon.
Calls have also been made for the council to finish drawing up a framework, agreed upon in 2008, that will assist WCH in the process of developing new affordable homes on the many sites it owns across Worcester “as a matter of urgency”.
City council planners had recommended members of the planning committee refuse the Patterdale Drive application because the development, which would have impacted on existing properties’ grass verges, typical of the area, was out of keeping with the local character.
A letter from WCH chief executive Stewart Mountfield said: “We are extremely disappointed that after over 18 months of dialogue with you and your staff on the design and layout of this site, you decided, only a few weeks ago, that the site is not suitable for any form of residential development.
“I can assure you that if this view had been expressed at the outset, or at any point up to the date of submission of the application in December 2009, we would not have applied for planning permission. As I am sure you are aware, we will now incur significant abortive costs which we estimate at around £8,000 not to mention the significant time we have invested in the scheme and local consultation. As a local housing association this is a significant waste of money and valuable resources we could have used more productively for our customers elsewhere in the city.
“As previously discussed with you and your colleagues we must find a structured approach to future dialogue to ensure we are not left in a similar position in the future.”
During the meeting Councillor David Candler questioned why, after 18 months, this was allowed to happen.
Committee chairman Councillor Robert Rowden said: “Planning conditions are planning conditions and it’s not for officers to treat any particular housing association or developer in a different way. They have to be treated according to the planning process.”
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