A decision to delay Luton Town Football Club’s planning application hearing for Newlands Park was branded a ‘farce’ as councillors raged over late additions to the agenda, which detailed withdrawn objections described as “no longer relevant”.
The Development Management Committee voted unanimously to defer for three weeks two applications which had been recommended for approval by the council’s planning officers, so they could read a 38-page late sheet that had been distributed to them yesterday afternoon.
Senior officers explained to councillors that the new information largely detailed an objection by neighbouring Central Bedfordshire Council, but that had been withdrawn yesterday so was labelled irrelevant by Luton Council’s Head of Development Management, Sunil Sahadevan.
Yet, Barnfield councillor David Franks (Liberal Democrat) and Farley councillor, Mayor Mahmood Hussain (Labour) led the calls to defer the item, with the former calling the distribution of the late sheets that afternoon “completely unacceptable”, while confused committee chairman, councillor Dave Taylor (Labour) said he was completely unaware of the papers.
It led campaign group Save Our Town to describe the exchange in the council chamber as a “farce”, adding: ‘We don’t appreciate our local government wasting our valuable time’.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the group, which has long campaigned for the approval of Newlands Park and Power Court, also questioned why documentation is even permitted to be submitted ‘at the last minute before a planning meeting’.
One follower commenting on their post said, ‘The statutory body who filled the late document should pay the costs of those whose times they wasted’ Another commenter called the exchange, ‘Utterly ridiculous behaviour’.
While over on Twitter, the Luton Eye account posted: ‘Listened to 10 minutes of the circus that is the @lutoncouncil Development Control meeting…information emailed out last minute…councillors wanted 3 weeks to scrutinise something they’ve been told is irrelevant and withdrawn now anyway…’
During the meeting, the council’s planning team leader, Clive Inwards, and Head of Development Management, Mr Sahadevan, both told councillors that the late sheets would be explained in the officer’s presentation.
“The update sheets is just an aid for members,” Mr Sahadevan said, adding: “The substance in the updates will be covered in the officer presentation. So, we’ll go over exactly what is in the update sheet. Members will have all the information they need to make a decision on the applications before you today.”
He also explained: “The reason for the length of the update is to include the full objection from Central Beds and our response. It just so happens that they’ve contacted us, which would’ve been a verbal update on both items 8 and 9 (the two Newlands Park applications), that there is no longer an objection. So, the large part of the update is no longer necessary and is no longer relevant for members to pour through and digest before they make a decision. All they need to know is that there is no objection from Central Beds in relation to items 8 and 9.”
Councillor Hussain had earlier asked for legal advice whether councillors needed the information and so chairman Taylor asked planning solicitor Steven Sparshott.
“What is your advice? That we should continue to determine these applications tonight?” the head of the committee said.
The legal representation replied: “Yes. Provided officers can give sufficient information as to what the updates actually say, because of the lateness of them being submitted to you in email form.”
But councillors Franks and Summara Kurshid (Saints ward, Labour) weren’t happy with that and the former moved a motion to defer hearing the Newlands Park applications, which was then unanimously voted for.
The Newlands Park applications will now be heard on January 26.
An outline planning application for the 37-acre site, situated at junction 10 of the M1, made by the Hatters’ subsidiary company 2020 Developments, was granted permission in September 2019.
Though the football club has now sold the land – in a deal that chief executive Gary Sweet said will move the Hatters “closer to realising our dream’ of a new stadium at Power Court – the revised schemes feature less space for leisure and retail, as a result o the impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the Newlands Park scheme will still act as a gateway development for the town, which is expected to deliver up to 3,967 jobs and, along with Power Court, add over £240million to Luton’s economy.
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