Major distribution scheme faces second decision by council

A legal wrangle may force a planning application for a vast warehouse development near Basingstoke to be voted on for a second time.

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council’s development control committee voted to approve Newlands Developments’ plans for a 271,000 sq m distribution centre on land at Oakdown Farm in April.

However, planning permission has not been granted as the Government’s Planning Case Work Unit is still considering a request to the Secretary of State to call-in the application, so no decision notice has been issued.

Meanwhile Dummer Parish Council has written to the borough council, challenging the legality of the decision, based on what it considers an error in the information given to the committee about how visible the development would be from the village.

The borough council’s chief executive Russell O’Keefe said: “It is important that we are robust and transparent in our decision making.

“The council has carefully considered Dummer Parish Council’s letter challenging the decision on the application and taken legal advice. We have decided that the best way forward is to take the application back to the development control committee.

“This is possible as a way of resolving this, as the decision notice has not yet been issued owing to the Secretary of State considering a call-in request.”

As a result, unless the council receives notification from the Secretary of State that he is to determine the planning application, it will be re-determined by the committee later this year.

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