The Humble Petition of residents of Hatton Park, Northamptonshire and the surrounding areas,
Sheweth,
That the Petitioners believe that the proposed change of use of 34 Hatton Avenue, Wellingborough into a behavioural management home (application number WP/14/00385/COU) is unacceptable as the location of the development is unsuitable both for the proposed residents of the home and for the local residents.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the Borough Council of Wellingborough to work together to reject the current application and relocate it to a more suitable site.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.—[Presented by Mr Peter Bone, Official Report, 22 July 2014; Vol. 584, c. 1357 .]
[P001381]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, received 6 August 2014:
The Borough Council of Wellingborough is responsible for the day-to-day planning of their area. The Government’s policy is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of a local planning authority unless it is necessary to do so. In determining a planning application a local planning authority is required to have regard to all material considerations including the development plan, national policies and views expressed by third parties.
The Government are committed to giving more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues, and believe that planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible. Calling-in a planning application removes councils from the decision-making process. We, therefore, exercise the power sparingly, with only 12 applications called in during 2013.
The Secretary of State has carefully considered this case against call-in policy, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Skills and Enterprise, the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Nick Boles) on 26 October 2012. The policy makes it clear that the power to call in a planning application will only be used very selectively. While the Secretary of State recognises that there is local concern about the proposal, he has decided having had regard to this policy, that taking the decision away from the council is not justified. He is satisfied that the application should be determined at a local level.