Chorley planning department off govt naughty step
The council was admonished in 2023 for its record on determining planning applications but has since made sufficient improvement to warrant having its powers reinstated.
Then-secretary of state Michael Gove designated Chorley Council in December 2023 for “persistent under-performance” in relation to its planning department.
At the time, Chorley had seen more than 15% of its refusals overturned at appeal between October 2020 and September 2022.
The designation meant that developers seeking planning permission for certain schemes could bypass the council and go directly to the Planning Inspectorate for a determination.
However, this has now been lifted, giving Chorley back its full suite of planning powers.
A notice published by the government and signed by housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The Secretary of State is satisfied that the designated local planning authority has provided adequate evidence of sufficient improvement against areas of weakness identified in an initial assessment of its performance.
“The council would also not be eligible for designation based on the most recent data currently available.”
At the time of the designation, the council’s Leader Cllr Alistair Bradley said he was “appalled” by the decision, claiming the council had overdelivered on its housing targets.
They need to look at Wyre Planning authority that is absolutely diabolical
By Anonymous
Given that they once tried to charge me for correcting a mistake that they made, it’s no surprise they were on the naughty step.
By Andy