This week's Llanelli Herald takes another look at the shady world of Carmarthenshire's Planning Services and confirms that Nia Griffiths MP (Lab) has asked for the Persimmon application for 91 homes in Hendy, Llanelli, to be taken out of the hands of the council and called-in by the Welsh Government.
As reported earlier this month, Persimmon have carried out extensive works to the site despite the fact that the application has not been decided. Of further concern were reported comments made by Persimmon, at a public meeting, that they'd been led to believe by planning officers that permission was already in the bag.
This specific concern is included in her call-in request and she also adds, in her letter to the Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab);
"This follows hot on the heels of the planning committee giving permission to an application by the Leader of the Council’s wife, in spite of the officers’ recommendation for refusal. This has clearly undermined the credibility of Carmarthenshire’s planning process, and left people wondering if there is one rule for some, and different one for the rest. I should be grateful if you would look into what is happening in Carmarthenshire."
Ms Griffiths is not the first person to question the capabilities of Carmarthenshire Council to make proper planning decisions, on officer and councillor level. Both Jonathan Edwards and Rhodri Glyn Thomas have a wealth of experience in dealing with the wild west world of Carmarthenshire Planning and both have called for investigations.
I suppose that with the (nominal) change in political leadership in Carmarthenshire Council in June, we can now expect a more critical public stance from Nia Griffiths. The Herald asked Plaid's Jonathan Edwards for his views on the planning system and, as you might also expect, with Plaid now 'in charge', his comments were a little more guarded about current issues. But that's politics for you.
His criticism was reserved for the previous policies of the Labour administration yet, as the Herald pointed out, little seems to have changed, and the one councillor with the responsibility for planning was, and still is, the 'Independent' Meryl Gravell, never more than a whisper away from Mark James.
Which brings us back to that toxic culture of defensiveness and arrogance. Never a good mix when it comes to controversial and sensitive planning decisions and complaints.
We now know what happened when the Wales Audit tried to take a closer look back in 2010.
From the Breckman case to the Sainsbury's saga that culture is all pervading. One of the most controversial developments in recent years was the housing development on the old Stradey Park site, which tied in with the Parc Y Scarlets stadium. In court, a couple of years ago, Mr James was asked whether the Stradey development was controversial; he didn't really think so, there were a couple of articles in the press, nothing more...
In reality, as he well knew, there was a right stink and Mr James regularly featured in the press himself pouring scorn on objectors and critics as being anti-council and anti-rugby.
His criticism of Cllr Caiach and Cllr Bill Thomas, over their continued opposition to council planning policy relating to pollution in the Burry Inlet has been well documented. Recently Mr James claimed to have amassed a dossier on Cllr Thomas to support proceedings against him in the High Court. Cllr Thomas has also claimed to have been the subject of covert surveillance by the authority.
It also emerged, in the summer that it was the usual suspect who had his hands on the cheque book to join with the developers and take the Welsh Government to court over the Grillo application in 2012 (and lose), without a whiff of reference to any elected members.
As for the councillors, the Herald has described, with some sympathy, the Chair's problems in controlling the planning committee as akin to herding cats. Yet the Chair, Cllr Alun Lenny (Plaid) himself wrote a letter to the Herald attacking their stance over 'Emlyn's barns', using a separate but similar application as some sort of justification - debunking the supposedly cast iron planning rule that 'every application must be considered on its own merits'.
Recent events alone should warrant a closer look at the planning system in Carmarthenshire, perhaps the new Director in charge of planning should welcome a complete and thorough audit, starting from scratch so to speak; and it will be interesting to see if Mr Sargeant now concludes that the only realistic way to restore a semblance of public confidence is to take planning out of the hands of Carmarthenshire council altogether.
Llanelli Herald on Facebook here.
As reported earlier this month, Persimmon have carried out extensive works to the site despite the fact that the application has not been decided. Of further concern were reported comments made by Persimmon, at a public meeting, that they'd been led to believe by planning officers that permission was already in the bag.
This specific concern is included in her call-in request and she also adds, in her letter to the Minister, Carl Sargeant (Lab);
"This follows hot on the heels of the planning committee giving permission to an application by the Leader of the Council’s wife, in spite of the officers’ recommendation for refusal. This has clearly undermined the credibility of Carmarthenshire’s planning process, and left people wondering if there is one rule for some, and different one for the rest. I should be grateful if you would look into what is happening in Carmarthenshire."
Ms Griffiths is not the first person to question the capabilities of Carmarthenshire Council to make proper planning decisions, on officer and councillor level. Both Jonathan Edwards and Rhodri Glyn Thomas have a wealth of experience in dealing with the wild west world of Carmarthenshire Planning and both have called for investigations.
I suppose that with the (nominal) change in political leadership in Carmarthenshire Council in June, we can now expect a more critical public stance from Nia Griffiths. The Herald asked Plaid's Jonathan Edwards for his views on the planning system and, as you might also expect, with Plaid now 'in charge', his comments were a little more guarded about current issues. But that's politics for you.
His criticism was reserved for the previous policies of the Labour administration yet, as the Herald pointed out, little seems to have changed, and the one councillor with the responsibility for planning was, and still is, the 'Independent' Meryl Gravell, never more than a whisper away from Mark James.
Which brings us back to that toxic culture of defensiveness and arrogance. Never a good mix when it comes to controversial and sensitive planning decisions and complaints.
We now know what happened when the Wales Audit tried to take a closer look back in 2010.
From the Breckman case to the Sainsbury's saga that culture is all pervading. One of the most controversial developments in recent years was the housing development on the old Stradey Park site, which tied in with the Parc Y Scarlets stadium. In court, a couple of years ago, Mr James was asked whether the Stradey development was controversial; he didn't really think so, there were a couple of articles in the press, nothing more...
In reality, as he well knew, there was a right stink and Mr James regularly featured in the press himself pouring scorn on objectors and critics as being anti-council and anti-rugby.
His criticism of Cllr Caiach and Cllr Bill Thomas, over their continued opposition to council planning policy relating to pollution in the Burry Inlet has been well documented. Recently Mr James claimed to have amassed a dossier on Cllr Thomas to support proceedings against him in the High Court. Cllr Thomas has also claimed to have been the subject of covert surveillance by the authority.
It also emerged, in the summer that it was the usual suspect who had his hands on the cheque book to join with the developers and take the Welsh Government to court over the Grillo application in 2012 (and lose), without a whiff of reference to any elected members.
As for the councillors, the Herald has described, with some sympathy, the Chair's problems in controlling the planning committee as akin to herding cats. Yet the Chair, Cllr Alun Lenny (Plaid) himself wrote a letter to the Herald attacking their stance over 'Emlyn's barns', using a separate but similar application as some sort of justification - debunking the supposedly cast iron planning rule that 'every application must be considered on its own merits'.
Recent events alone should warrant a closer look at the planning system in Carmarthenshire, perhaps the new Director in charge of planning should welcome a complete and thorough audit, starting from scratch so to speak; and it will be interesting to see if Mr Sargeant now concludes that the only realistic way to restore a semblance of public confidence is to take planning out of the hands of Carmarthenshire council altogether.
Llanelli Herald on Facebook here.