THE leader and deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council have moved swiftly to distance themselves from a damning report by the Local Government Ombudsman which criticises the authority for “an extraordinary and inexcusable act of maladministration”.
In a joint statement, Cllr Ian Marks (Lib Dem) and Cllr Keith Bland (Cons) said they accepted the Ombudsman’s 
findings but pointed out the failings had occurred when the previous Labour administration was controlling the council.
The Ombudsman, Anne Seex, says the maladministration arose from the fact the council had wrongly destroyed records of planning applications.
She said she had never come across a case like it.
Since 1947, planning authorities had had a statutory duty to hold planning applications on record for people to view.
The issue came to light when two householders at Culcheth complained that the council had failed to deal with planning applications properly, over the development of a house in Twiss Green Lane, behind their homes.
The ombudsman, Anne Seex, started an investigation and discovered a senior planning officer, who had since left the authority, had arranged to destroy records from before 1996. 
Ms Seex said decision notices were kept – but without the plans and applications, it was not clear what had been approved.
“The ombudsman has grave concern that this represents a significant and very serious failure of corporate governance,” her report added.
The council had approved a planning application in 1994 but it was impossible to tell what exactly had been approved.
An application to renew planning permission was made in 1997, which saw objections from residents, but again it is impossible to establish what the council approved.
Further changes to the plans were made in 2002, again with objections from the residents. Ms Seex found the changes should not have been made in the form of a renewal of planning permission.
There were further difficulties after the house was built in 2007, in relation to an access road.
As well as the maladministration of destroying the records, the ombudsman found the council had acted with maladministration in six aspects of dealing with the complainants’ case.
Ms Seex recommended that Warrington council apologise to the residents, pay them each £5,000 in recognition of the negative impact of the development on them and for their time and trouble at having to pursue the complaint.
She also recommended the council serve a notice on the developer about the access road.
In their joint statement, Cllrs Marks and Bland said: “Warrington Council’s previous Labour administration was responsible for this ‘significant and very serious failure of corporation governance’ by illegally destroying planning records.
“A full investigation into the circumstances leading to this illegal act is already under way because we accept the Ombudsman’s findings and take them very seriously.”
Pictured: Cllr Marks (top) and Cllr Bland.
Council destroyed planning records
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
10 Comments
Desperate, desperate stuff from Marks and Bland – anybody would think there was an election next week! The report published on WBC’s website gives no facts to support their statement. It is being put down to officers of the council, not elected Councillors. Yet another political sham from the current leadership – they clearly think that people are stupid!
Suggest you read the report, it is not difficult to find. http://www.lgo.org.uk/news/2011/apr/inexcusable-destruction-statutory-planning-records/ Marks & Bland are correct.
Wrong! All of the issues relate to the conduct of officers – not the administration. These relate to many years from the 1990s through to last year – clearly including a period when Marks & Bland were leading WBC! They are too eager to hang the officer being blamed and pin this onto the previous administration, without facts or evidence. That is not the process of justice, simply a lame political gambit.
Surely, the elected representatives in control have to take responsibility. It happens often enough in government so why not in local government?
Well that’s rich considering the ‘behind closed doors’ tactics used by these two ‘honest Joes’ (not) councillors re the Walton Hall Estate. Perhaps we could have a full investigation into that sad and sordid affair!!!
well – who in the LABOUR GROUP got the back handers – if its a criminal offence to do this I hope that Cllr Marks requests the Police to Investigate.
Well this is a true reflection of what LABOUR are like – watchout Warrington its one one seat to doom
What a load of tripe! You should be careful about libellous comments, I am sure that the police would be far more interested in that. This is about the actions of officers, but then you are obviously not interested in reading the report – instead you make ridiculous and unfounded accusations.
Absolutely right, where it is reasonable for them to do so, i.e. that they could reasonably be expected to know about it. The absence of the records came to light as part of the inquiry, otherwise nobody would have been any the wiser!
Isn’t libel a civil rather than a criminal matter. Interestingly the report fails to give the date when the files were destroyed. I thought local councils stored old files in the disused Cheshire salt mines. Maybe the retired employee will take out a superinjunction.
Don’t ask me – that’s why I am on here and not being a lawyer! You’re right though, the report doesn’t even say when the files were destroyed, who did it or even who knew about it.