"Planning proposal an affront to democracy" say Lib Dems

Former leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Irene Davidson has slammed Labour plans to merge the four Township Planning sub-committees as an "... affront to democracy". She was speaking as the Council prepared to make the decision at the next full meeting of Rochdale Council tomorrow night (Wednesday, 18th October). Irene, a member of the current Pennines Planning Sub-Committee claims that it shows "how little interest Labour have in local decision making". She is supported by local Lib Dem Leader Councillor Andy Kelly, and there have also been complaints from Labour Councillors furious at the move.

Irene said: "Planning decisions affect local communities in many ways including impacting on school places, on health services and on our roads and general environment. To centralise planning decisions in this way shows the contempt that Council Leader Richard Farnell and his Labour cronies have for devolution. Take, for example, the decision on a significant development at Coral Mill, off Shaw Road in Newhey taken last year. Sixty-nine homes were given the green light by a Labour dominated Pennines Planning sub-committee. No attempt was made to force the developer to contribute to minimalising the impact on existing residents, via a Section 106 order (an order that forces developers to make a significant financial contribution to the community) for example. It was a failure that let down so many local people."

If the ruling goes through, it will mean that Councillor Davidson will no longer be able to make decisions on planning.

Councillor Andy Kelly said: "We will be objecting in the strongest possible terms to Labour's plans. I will be encouraging the Conservative Group to join us in opposition and would ask those Labour Councillors who have contacted us to complain to have the courage of their convictions and vote against an increasingly authoritarian ruling Labour Group. The Liberal Democrats in Milnrow, Newhey and Ogden will have no say on planning if this goes through. It is an affront to democracy, especially when you consider all the applications for building on flood plains - linked to the worsening flooding problems on our patch. It is ridiculous - particularly when you consider that this is a crucial time to get planning right. Labour cite the fact that Heywood Township sometimes has no applications. Yet, under Labour's Local Housing Plan, they plan to build thousands of houses in Heywood. It is short-sighted, self-defeating and must be defeated."