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Councillor Mark Hubbard Resigns Planning Committee


Colin James

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Councillor Mark Hubbard has this morning resigned from Herefordshire Council's Planning Committee after claiming the planning process has been brought into disrepute.

 
Cllr Mark Hubbard was left angered after a planning application submitted by a committee member was approved by the chairman during a meeting last month despite it being recommended for refusal.
 
Mark Hubbard.jpg
 
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Well I know you were going anyway chap however I think you could have at least thrown a grenade in the room before shutting the door. Based on the history of this current council why should we doubt you...Sadly the whole set up is tainted even if you are one of the good ones.

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Perhaps the applicant should put a false name and address on the form - he's done it before and got away with it!

 

"Planning permission for an open market house in the open countryside - absolutely no chance, sir, contrary to every policy going - oh, you're a Tory councillor? Well in that case, the permission is in the post!"

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Cllr Mark Hubbard was left angered after a planning application submitted by a committee member was approved by the chairman during a meeting last month despite it being recommended for refusal. ...........

 

I know less than nothing about the Planning Laws etc so can somebody advise me if what happened was legal - appears wrong - but was the Chairmans action approving a Planning Application legal ?

 

If it was legal can somebody please explain what the problem is

 

If not legal is action being taken to rescind the Chairmans decision ?

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At the Committee when the voting on the decision is tied the Chairman gets the casting vote.

So in these rare cases he votes twice. The historic convention was that in the case of a tied vote the Chairman would use the casting vote in accordance with the Officer recommendation but that was abandoned some time ago.

In the case of Cllr Greenow's application that would have been to refuse permission. The Chairman chose to use his casting vote to grant permission.

What happened does appear legal

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It may be a decision that is just about legal..... but it's also highly questionable, and most definitely morally wrong.

 

It sticks two fingers up at the rest of us.

 

I'm not surprised Mark has resigned over this. He is a man of principle, he must have found the goings on in this council very hard to stomach at times.

 

I wish him all the best, post May... when he is a "free" man once more. Mark has done more than most for this city, and I for one would like to thank him very much for his efforts.

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If you read the Planning Officer's report, there is no justifiable case for this dwelling in the open countryside - the County Land Agent supported this argument and confirmed that the financial appraisal did not support an agricultural tie either. Ordinarily this would not have even made it to Committee - it would have been refused under delegated powers. It only went to Committee because the applicant was a councillor. 

 

It may be legal, but it still appears to be one rule for them and one for the rest of us and it stinks. 

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Thanks for update re this , I have a clearer picture of the event - appears that many questions should be asked by the relevant Cllrs and Officers - but I doubt if they will.

 

Read the HT article again and thought that it was very lacking - I accept that they said that the full story will be published tomorrow -

( expect that it has knocked off the front page the article relating to my " sofa " )

 

Sorry to have it confirmed that Cllr Hubbard is stepping down in a couple of months .

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I applaud the actions of Councillor Mark Hubbard against this action which, whilst presumably legal, has many of us shocked at how planners, having studied and being well educated in planning laws, can be ignored if a councillor with the right friends can vote him a building plot!! Shocking. The only sad thing is that if Councillor Hubbard goes, he is no longer there to highlight the next occasion this happens.

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Fantastic news about Amanda Martin! I am delighted that she is standing!

 

If anybody in this ward is reading this...... it's a no - brainer! Amanda would beat any other candidate hands down!

 

Grrrr. Can't believe Morgan and Bramer are standing again. Haven't we suffered enough??? I was pretty sure that Cllr Price had said he wouldn't stand again, so that's a disappointment.

 

Never mind. Onwards and upwards comrades!

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