Three Conservative councillors have requested a meeting with top officials in Wirral Council over planning concerns.
In a post on Facebook, they called a recent planning decision “a travesty of common sense” and “a shocking decision by the wilful blind.” Councillors Alison Wright, Tony Cox and Andrew Gardner have requested a meeting with the Chief Executive of Wirral Council Paul Satoor as well as senior planning officers over a number of concerns in their area.
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The three councillors, who represent Hoylake, Meols and part of West Kirby, want to raise their dissatisfaction over the recent approval of a development of apartments on Meols Drive as well as other issues to do with the wider Meols Drive Conservation Area.
Cllr Gardner said: “What we have asked for involves a number of issues locally in our area to the extent we want to meet the Chief Exec to relay our concerns.”
The meeting was requested after the council planning committee gave the green light to a development for a block of flats on Meols Drive to move forward. The 10-apartment building was opposed over claims it would negatively affect the area and the demolition of two buildings on the side.
It was approved 9 to 2 by the planning committee with Labour, Greens, Lib Dems and one Conservative councillor voting for it.
Cllr Gardner said: “I didn’t feel it was a good decision and I didn’t think the officers were robust enough given it was in a conservation area. If you move forward with it, where does it stop?”
A Council spokesperson said: “The decision to approve this application was taken following full consideration of the issues by the members of the Planning Committee, which includes Cllr Gardner.
"They considered the report of planning officers and heard representations from residents who objected to the application, one of the Ward Councillors and the applicant before debating the issues as a committee.
"A motion to approve the application - subject to a Section 106 agreement and a number of planning conditions - was carried on a vote of 9 to 2.”
A post on the councillors' Facebook page said: “A travesty of natural common sense, best practice and in our opinion resulted in an erroneous decision. Cllrs Gardner and Wright spoke against the application and despite it becoming clear that only Cllr Gardner and Cllr Wright had ever visited the site fully.”
Cllr Gardner said that there should be requirements for council officers to be based in the area and accused the officer who wrote the report of not visiting the property.
He said: “With that application - the view from the golf course was not properly considered. Often the rear doesn’t matter but it matters on Meols Drive. If you haven’t been to it, how can you write the report?
“I am trying to work with council officers here but there have been just too many things at the moment.”
The councillors met with senior planning officers on Friday August 12 and will meet with the Chief Executive later this month.
Cllr Gardner said this was important as the Council moves forward with adopting a new Local Plan in 2023.
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