CHANGES which gave planning staff more powers to decide applications using delegated powers have come under fire from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW)

In January, councillors agreed a raft of changes to the Powys County Council constitution which gave staff across the authority more decision making powers.

This included the planning services, where changes were made that meant fewer applications qualify to go in front of the planning committee for a decision by councillors.

Then, because of the coronavirus outbreak in March, the call-in procedure that allows councillors to bring applications to the planning committee was suspended for six months.

The only cases currently going before a committee are:

  • Major applications made by the council or affecting its property.
  • Applications submitted by a councillor or staff
  • Departures from the development plan
  • Applications referred to the comittee by a senior planning officer

Because of the coronavirus outbreak in March, the call-in procedure that allows councillors to bring applications to the planning committee was suspended for six months.

And for the last year, third-party responses to applications have not been uploaded to the council’s online planning portal.

Dr Christine Hugh-Jones, chair of Brecon and Radnorshire CPRW branch, said the approval of a 200,000-bird chicken farm near Kerry by planning officers highlights the problems.

Dr Hugh-Jones said: “They can maintain it was ok to determine a 200,000 broiler unit under delegated powers.

“There is now no particular size, class or degree of public interest which decides which applications go to the planning committee.

“Third party representations are no longer available on the web-site. No-one will know what date delegated decisions will be made.

“Planning committee members have also been advised not to read any letter about a planning application. The Powys public has been effectively shut out.”

A council spokesman said: “Some applications have to be taken by the planning committee under the council’s constitution, for example major applications by the county council or those by councillors.

“The January decision was taken by full council and followed a democratic process.”

The council hopes to hold a meeting of the planning committee online in June.