Where the Case Officer, Planning Manager and Head of Develop Services misuse the Complaints Procedure by evading the question and referring one on:
Example 1
On 5th September 2013, at 15:54, the Principal Planning Officer wrote to a resident of Greens Place:-
Hello – as promised during our conversation earlier I attach a copy of the planning permission and drawing of the aforementioned subject…the building foundations were signed off as being complete by the Council’s Building Control Section on 26 February 2001…and the details required under condition 4 have been submitted. This development was approved by the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation.
Regards
Principal Planning Officer
South Tyneside Council, Development Management, Planning Group, the planning officer continued to be helpful and I was by now included in the list of respondents.
From: Principal Planning Officer
To: Resident of Greens Place
CC: 6 other local residents including myself and; cllr.john.anglin@southtyneside.gov.uk; cllr.audrey.mcmillan@southtyneside.gov.uk; Cllr.John.Wood@southtyneside.gov.uk; Mike.Telford@southtyneside.gov.uk; Gordon.Atkinson@southtyneside.gov.uk
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2013 13:08:28 +0100
Subject: RE: Approved boat repair shelter at Tyne Slipway, River Drive, South Shields
This email has been classified as: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Hello
I called on site last Friday (6/9/13) and following this visit the applicant provided me with 2no. Architect drawings (copies attached) which were agreed as part of the 1996 planning permission. The development shown on these plans is being constructed on site.
The same Architect that submitted these plans in 1996 is overseeing construction on site today and he has used these drawings under the Building Regulations submission.
My colleague Mike Telford (Snr. Building Control Surveyor tel: 4247435) is dealing with the Building Regulations application. You may be aware the Building Regulations system is there to ensure that development is constructed in accordance with modern day building standards[1b], they are not dealing with residential amenity issues such as outlook as this would be a planning issue.
The details relating to condition 4 were agreed by the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation, whom were the planning authority for the area in 1996 not South Tyneside Council.
Unfortunately, only recent planning records are held on the Council’s Planning Portal website, but when residents call I am either emailing or posting the information regarding this development out to them. Give me a call if you require more information.
Best Regards
Principal Planning Officer
This all appeared to be extremely helpful but 3 hours later he had written in response to a request* to clarify the height question:
To: Resident of Greens Place
CC: 6 Residents and the 3 Ward Councillors
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2013 16:00:04 +0100
Subject: RE: Approved boat repair shelter at Tyne Slipway, River Drive, South Shields
This email has been classified as: PROTECT**
Hello – I stamped these drawings on the day they were handed to me in reception, as I explained these are copies of drawings passed in 1996 by the T&W Development Corporation the only difference is that these drawings do not have the approved stamps on them.
I attach a link to the Council’s website explaining the complaints procedure.
Regards
Principal Planning Officer
* Dear Peter,
From the stamp date on the revised plans, you have received plans on the 06.09.13 the day after construction commenced which show a increased height to the structure to that which was originally approved in 1996. Has the revised height of 15.5metres been approved or is it in breach of the 1996 Planning approval?
Please can you send me full details of the relevant complaints procedure.
Regards,
Resident, Greens Place
** This time the status of the email had been changed to PROTECT and from this point on (only four days after the start) any question about the height was avoided or the enquirer was referred to the Complaints System. I have dealt with the ‘Complaints System’ as operated by South Tyneside Council elsewhere on this Website. The Complaints System
Interesting side notes from the Gazette 09 & 10 September 2013