THE Government has put the brakes on a controversial planning application thanks to a successful intervention from Workington MP Mark Jenkinson.
Cumberland Council’s Planning Committee gave the 180-home estate for Seaton the green light at a meeting last week [24th April 2023] despite concerns over increased traffic, lack of school places, and claims of overdevelopment in the village.
But the MP secured an almost immediate halt when he asked the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ‘call in’ the scheme, drawing attention to several planning contraventions ignored by the Labour-majority panel.
Responding to his concerns, the Secretary of State has issued what is known as an A31 Holding Direction to Cumberland Council.
This means that the application has been paused whilst he considers whether or not the application should be referred to him for determination.
Mark said: “Of course, I am very pleased that the Secretary of State has asked Cumberland Council to hold off granting – at least for now – the controversial planning application for 180 houses in Seaton.
“MPs do not typically get involved in planning matters – and the fact that I have had to is a reflection of the failure of Cumberland Council to properly scrutinise this application or to hold the developer to account.
“The Labour-majority panel has failed the people of Seaton, and I can only do so much to protect my constituents from maladministration and incompetence.
“And whilst this intervention by the Government is welcome news, it is also my job to manage the expectations of the people I was elected to serve. I fight for my constituents, but I am not a miracle worker.
“The bar for a full ‘call in’ is very high. The principle of development on this site was agreed a couple of years ago with barely a murmur of objection.
“Honesty in politics is very important, and I do not wish to make false promises, nor do I wish to raise false hopes. ‘We are where we are’ as the saying goes, and next steps should focus on mitigating impacts.
“Regrettably, the council has failed in its duties and has given the developer a very easy ride. I would add that serious public interest questions need to be asked around this application.
“I note that there was no declaration of the £100,000 Fred Story gave to the Labour Party. The merest whiff of possible political influence, indeed the perception it, undermines democracy and must be properly investigated.
“The lack of s106 contribution to schools, roads and affordable housing is particularly worrying. These should have been proactively demanded.
“Yet the planning panel passed this application despite an acknowledgment that there are no secular secondary school places available in West Cumbria because of their poor pupil planning.
“It is Seaton, alongside Harrington, which already suffer from the Council’s disastrous school places policy - and this will only make a bad problem much worse.
The Labour councillor for Seaton sits on the planning panel, yet this application was passed unanimously.”
Mark asked the Secretary of State to call in the application because on the grounds that it does not align with the Local Plan or the National Planning Policy Framework.
The planning report says that Workington Academy is oversubscribed, yet no education contribution was sought from the developer to pay for more school places.
The Council policy is for 20% affordable housing, yet developers Story Homes have only been asked for 10%.
In his submission, Mark has also pointed out that the traffic assessments put before the panel dated from a quieter period during Covid, when many people were working from home, adding that updated figures should have been provided.
