Council planners accused of arrogance

Date published: 28/05/2008

Rochdale Council Planning Department has been accused of arrogance and a lack of understanding in ignoring a request for an explanation as to why they have insisted on disabled parking spaces at the new Moon Furniture store on Roch Valley Way being located as far as possible from the entrance on the other side of the car park, making it particularly difficult and dangerous for wheelchair users who have to jockey with cars to cross the car park to the entrance.

On the 11 April, Rochdale Online reported the comments of a spokesman for Moon Furniture who said: "Originally in all our plans the disabled parking was to be at the front near the doors and was always intended to be there - as shown in our plans before we got planning permission. However, unfortunately Rochdale Council changed their minds on the requirements.”

We asked the Council media team to obtain an explanation from the Planning Department – we are still waiting for that explanation!

Wheelchair user Malcolm Journeaux said: “In my experience this is typical arrogance from the Council Planning Department, they appear to consider themselves unaccountable.”

Mr Journeaux went on to explain that for over two years the Council Planning Department has also ignored complaints about illegal adverts on a dangerous bend on Royle Road, despite the best efforts of Councillor Ted Flynn to stir them into action. The best the Planners could come up with is “we are understaffed in enforcement”! Mr Journeaux noted this has not stopped the Planners from jumping from a great height on a local businessman, Adil Ansari of Keystone Estates, who put a sign on his premises in Littleborough and was forced to remove it. He said: “When it suits them the Planning Department will use a sledgehammer to crack a nut; it is clear discrimination when one business is made to comply with planning regulations and yet others are allowed to flout those same regulations with apparent impunity.”