On 28 February 2005 I submitted a planning application, following advice from Tim Flisher, DDC’s Development Control Manager, but the dirty tricks soon started again and without me realising it the case officer had tampered with the wording of my application.
Not just once, but at least three times the officer changed the description that I originally printed on my planning application form. This was done in an insidious manner without consultation and without my knowledge or consent.
These changes would have resulted in my application being considered in a completely different context to that which I intended.
A planning application is a voluntary process paid for by the applicant and it is for the applicant, not the Council, to decide what it is they are seeking permission for.
It is the Councils role to decide if planning permission will be granted for what the applicant seeks. If the Council required changes to the title then that should have been achieved through consultation prior to the changes being made.
I became highly suspicious about the way in which the Council were dealing with my planning application so decided to withdraw it on the 22 July 2005.
Soon after this I obtained a copy of the report that the case officer had prepared for the Planning Committee. I was astounded when I read it as the officer’s report contained incorrect statements, misleading information and was written in a biased way designed to ensure a refusal. And that is not just my opinion, because the Council’s own Chief Investigator also came to that conclusion.
At this point I decided to submit a formal complaint to the Professional… more