Falmouth council planning problem solved (From Falmouth Packet)

Falmouth council planning problem solved

10:00am Monday 21st January 2013 in News

A crisis within Falmouth’s planning committee following the resignation of two councillors has been temporarily resolved following a special meeting of the town council last week.

The committee, which should have eight members and comments on all planning applications ahead of them being determined by Cornwall Council, was left with only four members after Jenny Booth and then Charlie Choak resigned from the town council last month.

It was agreed last Monday that all 14 town councillors should sit on the committee until the parish elections in May.

Mayor Geoffrey Evans said at the special meeting: “I do not think it [the committee] has had eight members for years. You cannot run the planning committee with just four members, which is less than a quarter of the council.

We should make it all of the council for the next four months as there will not be any volunteers to go on it. In all of this council’s six years there have been problems with the planning committee. People have sat on it and then resigned from it, nobody stays there long.”

Councillor Maureen Davies added: “We need to have as many voices on planning as we can.

“We have had complaints since Carrick (District Council) disbanded that the folks at County Hall are judging our planning applications, but don’t live here.”