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The West Dorset Magazine, August 12, 2022
Homes & Gardens x GARDENS
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Planning system under fire A conservation charity has slammed Dorset Council over what it calls a ‘progressive loss of democratic accountability within the planning system’. A spokesperson for the Sherborne branch of CPRE said: “A recent meeting of the Sherborne and District Society CPRE questioned the progressive loss of democratic accountability within the planning system operated by Dorset Council.” The spokesman said members were briefed on a planning decision in a local village where ‘radical changes from the permission given for a new building were retrospectively authorised by a planning office using delegated powers’. Society chairman Sir
Christopher Coville said: “There is growing concern over the way this particular case was handled, and even more importantly a general drift towards delegation by those whom we elect to be accountable for important planning decisions.” A Dorset Council spokesman “Local authority decisions are made by elected members but for the council to be able to function the law allows various executive and non-executive functions to be delegated to officers. In addition, there are some functions which the law says must be exercised by specific officers. There is a constitution that sets out the ways officers of the council can make decisions.”
