Councillor Andy Freeman open letter to Robert Jenrick MP

Dear Robert Jenrick MP,

I am writing to you to address the points you have raised in a post on your Facebook page regarding the decision of the planning committee in regard to Bullpit Road, Balderton and mention of second home council tax case.

Firstly, we hope that you are aware that Newark and Sherwood District Council as the planning authority cannot attach determinative weight to the retrospective nature of a planning application for a Gypsy, Roma, Traveller site, or any other planning application for that matter. The published report and Planning Committee debate allowed for a full and thorough debate, with the report making clear that whilst the application was retrospective this regrettably couldn’t prejudice the decision-making process.

As a previous Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, you know very well that your comments are selective to say the least. It wasn’t the fault of the Council that a traveller encampment was set up without the residents having first applied for planning permission. Once on the site, the Council couldn’t simply remove the residents given the need for the decision-making process to conclude. These are national rules and laws, and it is a shame that you were unable to influence and change them when in the privileged position to do so.

Our Planning Committee expressed considerable frustration when dealing with the application, making clear that they would have wanted to receive an application for planning permission before not after the development had been created. Should you wish to do so you can see these views expressed on the recording of the meeting which can be viewed at: https://youtube.com/live/T4mCgF5WJFo .

Members on the committee expressed this view on numerous occasions with regard to retrospective planning permissions but, as you should know, the Committee has to act within the legislation that exists at the moment and not how we would want it to be.

As a Council we categorically refute your baseless allegation of a ‘two-tier planning system’ which not only besmirches the name of the District Council but is an insult to the members of the committee who pride themselves on approaching every application with an open mind, as required by UK law and without pre-determination or bias.

Secondly, with reference to your comments about charging council tax on additional homes, I suggest you liaise with your office where you will discover a response that was provided before Christmas. You slam the Council for its “appalling treatment” of a resident, ignoring the fact that it’s the Valuation Office, not the Council, that determines whether a property is banded for Council Tax and this includes the determination of annexed properties. We have already advised your office on how the resident in question might appeal to the Valuation Office – hardly “appalling treatment” and my colleagues deserve an apology from you.

Finally, I would formally like to offer you some support with understanding the planning process and the legislation we must abide by as a Council. Despite you being the Secretary of State responsible for planning previously, I would happily welcome you to our next Planning Training for members of the Planning Committee so you can better understand the roles, responsibilities and planning function of the Council.

Kind regards,

Councillor Andy Freeman