Council cleared by Ombudsman

WARRINGTON Borough Council has been cleared of maladministration in a long-running planning battle over air conditioning units on the roof of the town’s Odeon Cinema.
The council was accused of failing to ensure that the units were adequately screened in line with conditions imposed when the cinema eventually won planning consent on appeal.
Nearby residents claimed the screening that was installed failed to adequately protect views from their homes.
But the Local Government Ombudsman says there was a difference of interpretation by the council, of the comments of the planning inspector who allowed the Odeon’s appeal and that of the complainants.
Differences of interpretation do not amount to maladministration, says the Ombudsman.
The council did not ignore the inspector’s comments, but placed a particular interpretation on them and officers were entitled to make the decision to accept the screening without reference to councillors.
The Ombudsman concluded there was no evidence of maladministration leading to injustice.
The decision marks the end of a lengthy dispute over the air conditioning units.
Fourteen nearby residents originally objected to the units – some of which were installed without planning permission.
Planning chiefs eventually refused planning consent – but the cinema appealed successfully.
The Odeon, from the outset, always claimed the new units were essential because of changed legislation and that without them they would be unable to continue to use the building as a cinema.