During Question Time in the House of Commons, Alec asked for a Ministerial Statement on the conduct of local planning authorities in relation to the determination of planning applications, citing Harrogate Borough Council’s shambolic decision to overturn a previous decision to refuse plans for over 300 new homes on greenfield land bordering Wetherby.
Whilst the Leader of the House is not able to comment on individual planning applications, she did suggest that the matter be raised in an Adjournment Debate, which is something Alec is now investigating.
Following Harrogate Borough Council’s u-turn on this application – thereby giving consent for homes to be developed despite strong objections from Leeds City Council and local residents, Alec has written to the Secretary of State in the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting that the decision is now ‘called-in’ and scrutinised by officials.