Council planners have admitted that they missed the chance to put up a fight over the controversial conversion of offices into flats above the city’s railway station.
The conversion of part of Station House into 200 flats above MK’s central station was the subject of a planning appeal hearing last year which the government inspector rejected.
The inspector said he had not received information from the council, which wanted to fight the plan on the grounds that a lack of detail had been provided by the developers.
The inspector decided that there were no traffic reasons to stop the plan.
Now, Milton Keynes Council admits, in a background briefing note, that it failed to provide background information.
The development management department has reviewed how it works and introduced a “greater scrutiny” requiring information to be signed off by a team leader.
“The appeals process has been reviewed as part of a wider review of the planning service and the revised process will be fully integrated within the department,” says the background briefing note.
The review has ignited a row between the Conservatives and the ruling Labour administration.
Cllr Dan Gilbert, (Cons, Loughton & Shenley) said: “It’s horrific to think the ball could have been dropped at the last minute, on the back of the planning fiasco at Blakelands.
“We now live with the risk of 200 poorly planned apartments sitting on top of the strategic transport gateway to Milton Keynes.”
He said it was “astonishing” that the administration concluded there would be no detrimental traffic impact from the proposed development despite concerns from across the city.
He added: “I’m fully aware that the overall planning rules are set by the government and Parliament, but it’s also incumbent on the council locally to use all its powers to defend its case – not least when we’re all agreed that a proposal would be bad for MK.”
But Cllr Martin Gowans (Lab, Bletchley East) hit back, saying that the Conservative government changed the rules to allow developers to convert such buildings without going through the planning process and adhering to parking policies.
“Of course we will monitor the effects this development will have on the surrounding area, both in Central Milton Keynes and Loughton and take action if issues arise.”
Cllr Gowans says the council has been working on the possibility of taking Central MK out of “permitted development rights”
“This work predated the Station House application, however it has brought it into sharper focus and I feel shows it is the right way ahead,” he said.
Cllr Gowans, the council’s elected head of planning, is looking to start a six week consultation, after the local elections, on removing permitted development rights in these circumstances.
He is due to confirm that through a delegated decision on March 24.
