A controversial application for development at Hereford’s Holmer Trading Estate has been pulled for the second time from a planning committee agenda as council boss Chris Bull promises a full investigation into the issue.
His decision follows an angry letter to the chief executive from Herefordshire Council’s Lib Dem group leader Councillor Terry James, who had already ensured the development was removed from the agenda for the July 9 meeting of the central area planning sub committee.
“Some five weeks ago I went with Councillor Heather Davies to meet the traders on the estate, and was shocked to hear what had been happening during the planning process,” said the letter.
He refers to a tape recording played at the meeting – also heard by the Journal – of a man threatening a tenant with legal action if he did not withdraw an objection to the development, and of typed letters sent to tenants for them to sign changing their objections. “But what is equally disturbing is Herefordshire Council’s handling of this application. It was quite clear that the report going to the then planning meeting was deeply flawed, partial and on some issues untrue,” the letter says.
“Officers had failed to act in an impartial manner when dealing with this application, having acted in a manner more appropriate to an agent of the applicant than that of an independent quasi judicial planning authority – an officer of the council informing businesses who would be accommodated on the new development and who would not,” it said.
Councillor Heather Davies’ intervention had seen the application deferred, but it had returned to the agenda one month later “without any indication or admission by planners that this had been handled in an improper illegal manner”, he added.
“Following the Bullinghope housing development fiasco, Herefordshire Council can ill afford another legal judgement for planning against them”, said Councillor James, calling for a full, thorough and independent investigation.
And in a further twist to the saga the council’s head of planning, Andrew Ashcroft, has written to members of the central planning committee, providing reasons why they should support the application.
“I think this is an ill-advised letter, given the problems we have had with this application. I was surprised to get the letter – it has never happened before, and I assume the head of planning was acting on sound legal advice”, said a committee member.
Councillor Heather Davies and MP Paul Keetch met a number of Holmer tenants last week, and the MP added his own request for an investigation.
“I felt totally let down by the council. The traders who had put their faith in me must wonder what on earth is going on. These are people’s lives and futures we are dealing with – all they are asking for is fair play”, said Councillor Davies.
Ten tenants of the 33 on site will remain in new units and four have been offered provisional terms but have not yet accepted, and 19 tenants are yet to be determined.
The application, by Hereford Residential Developments Ltd, is for 115 houses, industrial, office and warehousing units, new access to College Road and re-opening part of the former canal.
