Millom Without Parish Council

MILLOM WITHOUT PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE PARISH COUNCIL EXTRAORDINARY MEETING AT THWAITES VILLAGE HALL, ON 15 JULY 2024 COMMENCING AT 7.30PM

Present

Cllr C Carrington (Chair), Cllr I Lockwood, Cllr B Wright, Cllr Calsy

Lesley Cooper (Clerk)

4 members of the public

Apologies for Absence

Cllr D Savage, Cllr V Pogrel, Cllr M Kitchingman, Cllr M Bates, Cllr A Nugent

Declarations of Interest

None

Public Participation

Resolution: Proposed by Cllr Carrington and seconded by Cllr Calsy that Standing Orders be suspended to allow members of the public to participate in the discussion of Agenda Item 4.1 regarding the granting of planning permission for 4/23/2119/0F1.

Points Raised

• The decision was made under delegated powers instead of going to committee, despite requests from Cllr Pratt and the Parish Council.
• The decision notice dismisses concerns about residential amenity and deems the proposed management plan adequate.
• Planning authorities did not adequately address internal concerns about parking, failing to consider it a material issue.
• There was no input from Highways regarding increased traffic flow. The sustainable transport plan appears flawed, underestimating car journeys.

Legal Advice

Informal legal advice was sought regarding the available options for the Parish Council. The consensus was that the decision is potentially flawed due to:

• Failure to properly consider community concerns.
• Insufficient weight given to residential amenity and parking/highways issues.
• Lack of meaningful engagement from the Local Planning Authority (LPA), undermining public confidence.

While it is unusual for a Parish Council to pursue a judicial review (only one case in the past 16 years), the estimated cost would be approximately £25,000 – £40,000.

Public Comments

• Lack of confidence in the Cumberland planning process.
• Concerns about bias and fairness in decision-making.
• Poor handling of planning applications, with unresolved issues outstanding for over 12 months.
• Residents have done much of the work in highlighting failures and inaccuracies.
• The public was informed they have six weeks to file a complaint with the Ombudsman regarding the conduct of the Planning Department.
• Advice was provided on who to contact if visitors to the site cause disturbances.

Challenge to Planning Decision

Resolution: The Parish Council will not seek legal counsel or pursue a judicial review due to the financial risk to the Parish Council.

While the Council believes there are grounds for a challenge, the financial burden would be too significant. The Council maintains that the decision was flawed, particularly regarding residential amenity, and does not align with planning inspectorate and court precedents.

The Council expressed dissatisfaction with Cumberland Planning Department’s handling of the application and noted poor engagement with the community. The lack of online data and the non-publication of objections were deemed poor practice.

All councillors present agreed with the proposal.

The Parish Council remains committed to keeping the community informed, monitoring the situation, and offering support where necessary.

Members of the public thanked the Parish Council for their support.

Financial Records

Approved Payments

• Buzz Cycles – Gift voucher for cycle event: £31.50
• J Benson – Purple custom stamp: £38.46

Pending Payments (Awaiting Invoices)

• Village Hall – Fees for cycle event: £84.00
• Crosby Cakes – Refreshments for cycle event: £100.00 (approximate cost)

Receipt of Payments

None

Date of Next Meeting

2 September 2024 at The Hill Village Hall, commencing at 7:30 PM.

The meeting closed at 8:40 PM.