I ATTENDED the meeting of the planning committee of Cotswold District Council on December 9, where a resolution was passed giving outline planning consent to Cala Homes for the residential development of a site off Draycott Road in Blockley, a site within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

As you will be aware, the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework seeks to restrict the granting of planning applications in such an area.

Of the 15 committee members present, six voted in favour of the resolution – less than half.

Because two members abstained and the local member who opposed the application was not allowed to vote, the vote resulted in a tie.

The chairman, Councillor Robin Hughes, then exercised his second casting vote in favour of the resolution, as he is lawfully entitled to do, but in doing so appears to have had little regard for the obvious reservations of the committee reflected in the initial vote.

It seems to me that the exercise of a casting vote by a chairman in such a way may be perceived as an abuse of his power and a dereliction of his moral duty to the wider electorate.

These criticisms have been forwarded to the CDC planning committee and the chairman invited to respond to them at the next meeting of the committee because the Blockley community feels very badly let down by his action.

ROBERT WILLOTT

Blockley