The following is an extract from a letter dated 6th August which has been received from the Department of Communities and Local Government;
"The Secretary of State has carefully considered the case against call-in policy, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement by Nick Boles on 26 October 2012. The policy makes it clear that the power to call in a case will only be used very selectively. The Government is committed to give more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues, and believes planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible.
"In deciding whether to call in the application, the Secretary of State has considered his policy on calling in planning applications. This policy gives examples of the types of issues which may lead him to conclude, in his opinion that applications should be called in. The Secretary of State has decided, having had regard to this policy, not to call in the application. He is content that they should be determined by the local planning authority."
In this case the local planning authority is not our local Council (who opposed the application) but the Planning and Regulatory Committee of Surrey County Council.
SATEP, (Spelthorne Against the Eco Park) and our Council are currently looking at the possibility of challenging the approved application by way of an application to the High Court for judicial review. As ever, limited resources may frustrate our progress and all contributions, however small, will be most welcome. To donate, please visit the SATEP Website: http://satep.co.uk/
