Resignation (from Cabinet) Statement

Posted By: William Hobhouse
Date Posted: 14/11/2007

Alan Taylor has asked me to resign from the Cabinet following my public remarks about planning decisions in this Borough.

Since becoming a Councillor, I have been concerned with certain procedures that have been used by a few domineering individuals to allow perverse planning decisions to be made.  This has sometimes overruled the legal advice of hard-working Planning Officers.

I have been inundated with complaints from Rochdalians who have been disgusted by what they see as unfair planning procedures and decisions that favour speculators. As a result, the morale of the public and many council officers has suffered. People feel powerless. I felt I had to make a principled stand for the sake of the silent majority who have expressed utter disillusion in a system that is supposed to serve the entire community and not just a few who can profit greatly from controversial planning decisions. 

For example, when planning decisions are refused by the Council, the applicant always has the option to go to appeal so that a second independent opinion at national level can be made. However, once a planning application is approved, there is no come back. The decision does not need to be legally justified and there is no appeal procedure. In these cases, the gain is all to the applicant, even if an application may not fully comply with planning law.

My aim has been to create a fully transparent and accountable planning process for Rochdale Borough. Is that too much to ask? 

The vast majority of councillors sitting on planning committees are beyond reproach, but there appears no procedure for dealing with ‘bad apples’, and no procedure to deal with a culture of bullying and threats.

Finally, I cannot agree with Rochdale Borough Councillors being allowed to act as ‘Planning Consultants’ and receive payments from developers yet still vote on Planning or Regulatory committees and influence planning decisions. Rochdale Borough deserves better. It tarnishes the whole ethos of public service that so many decent councillors adhere to. What message does this send out about the Borough?     

I will continue to work on behalf of my Ward and fight for the good name of Rochdale Borough from the Council backbenches.