A Shirley councillor has defended her decision to call in a planning application after the chairman of Solihull Council's planning committee criticised her for not attending the meeting or making a representation.
Councillor Alison Wilson, who represents Shirley West, called in an application for a single storey rear and side extension at a home in Berkeley Road, Shirley. The application was considered at the authority's latest planning committee meeting on July 24.
A call-in is a formal power that allows elected councillors to bring a planning application before a committee instead of letting officers decide it alone. In this case, the application was approved with seven councillors voting in favour and one against.
Chairman's Criticism
At the start of the debate, Councillor Bob Grinsell, chairman of the planning committee, said: "In our Solihull planning handbook it is requested if a councillor calls a matter to be seen by this committee then they should either make their representation in person or online, or provide a written statement. As far as I am aware that has not been adhered to so I'm saying it for the record because I know I have been accused of calling people out previously."
Councillors heard there had been no objections from statutory consultees or the public, and the only objection had been lodged by Councillor Wilson.
During the debate, Councillor Michael James raised that the scheme was not compliant with the authority's planning policies, particularly policy P14. This policy requires development proposals to protect and enhance existing and potential occupiers' amenity, ensuring projects act as a "good neighbour" regarding light, privacy, and local character.
Debate Over Policy P14
Councillor James said: "The extension is being placed right in the eye line of the neighbours window, so I think that is a breach of P14."
Planning officer Lawrence Osborne replied: "P14 looks at primary habitable rooms - a utility room shown here (next to neighbours) is not a primary room."
Councillor James then quipped: "With respect anything behind the confines of your own home is considered private. Anyone could walk round in their birthday suit and love life."
The chairman joked: "Do you walk round the utility in your birthday suit?" before Councillor James replied "from time to time" - which brought laughter from other members of the committee.
The chairman then said: "It has to be a habitable room - I have had that argument over the last 10 years, but I look forward to living next to you."
Councillor Wilson's Response
Following the meeting, Councillor Wilson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had been asked to call the matter in by residents. The councillor said prior to the meeting she had been in contact with planning officers on the nature of the objection, which she discovered were broader issues and not planning issues.
"As far as I understood it had been communicated to the chairman to take it off the agenda," the councillor added.
This is not the first time the chairman has been critical of a councillor over a call-in. Last year he accused Castle Bromwich councillor Alan Feeney of 'wasting the committee's time', which led Councillor Feeney to hit back saying representing residents is never a waste of time.
