Pickles’ office intervenes in village neighbourhood plan row

THE Secretary of State’s office has this morning issued a direction to Aylesbruy Vale District Council, preventing it from granting planning permission for 250 houses on land in Haddenham, less than 24 hours after AVDC defied local opposition and went ahead and approved the application.

Haddenham villagers gather to have their say before AVDC’s planning meeting yesterday

This morning, Haddenham Parish Council issued the following statement:

“This morning the Parish Council has notified the Secretary of State’s Office of the decision to approve made by AVDC. The Secretary of State’s office has responded by issuing an Article 25 Direction to Aylesbury Vale District Council with respect to this application. This prevents the Council from granting planning permission in order to provide the Secretary of State with a period of time in which to consider a call-in. If the application is called-in there will be a Public Inquiry and the Inspector will make a report and recommendation to the Secretary of State, he will then make the final decision. This is a process that would take several months. The Parish Council will make no further decisions relating to its Neighbourhood Plan until the outcome of the request to call-in is known.

“Haddenham Parish Council would like to thank all the villagers who attended yesterday’s Strategic Development Management Committee at Aylesbury Vale District Council, it was a tremendous demonstration of interest and support. Special thanks also go out to the villagers who registered to speak: Graham Oliver, David Impey, Robyn and Chris Thorogood, Tony Stevens, Nick Nash, Alison Watt and District Cllr Judy Brandis. The Parish Council is extremely disappointed by the decision to approve planning application 14/02666/AOP but is grateful to District Cllrs Foster, Thompson and Cooper who spoke up during the meeting for the Neighbourhood Plan and voted to refuse planning permission. The decision to approve was made contrary to the manifest wishes of the residents of Haddenham whose emergent Neighbourhood Plan was submitted to AVDC on Tuesday, January 27.

“It is Haddenham Parish Council’s opinion that this refusal to take account of Haddenham’s Neighbourhood Plan sets an unfortunate precedent for undermining the neighbourhood planning process on a national scale and for this reason a request was sent to the Secretary of State to ask him to call-in this application. The request has been supported by local MP John Bercow.”