Information Further to Ministerial Answers

Information further to WAQ55109, issued by Jane Davidson the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing on 19 October 2009

To Janet Ryder:

Thank you for your letter about applications for houses behind properties at Cwlyd Street, Ruthin. You asked for an explanation of the reasons for calling in these applications. An interim response was sent to you by my private office by e-mail on 21 October.

The decision to call in the two separate planning applications for two and three houses and two associated listed building applications was taken on the advice submitted to me, which included advice from Cadw. Cadw advised that the proposed development would have a significant effect on heritage assets. Cadw had concerns that the Council, in considering whether to grant consent, appeared not to have had sufficient regard to the impact of the proposals on the burgage plots. Further, although Cadw considered that the listed building consent applications did not warrant call-in themselves, I was advised that, where a planning application is call in in, a related listed building consent application should normally also be called in.

Our policy on calling in planning applications is set out in paragraph 4.12 of Planning Policy Wales. I will normally only call in an application which raises issues of more than local importance and this could include any application which raises issues that are likely significantly to affect a site of historic interest. I agreed with the advice that was submitted to me and consequently called in both planning applications and both associated listed building consent applications.

Regarding your concerns about the timelines of information provided to you, I can confirm that officials’ advice to me was indeed submitted on 12 October and my decisision on the call-in requests was made on 16 October. I do not accept that there has been any delay in this matter. My officials obtained advice from Cadw, and from elsewhere within the Assembly, as quickly as possible, and the call-in requests were dealt with in the context of available resources and conflicting priorities. E-mails and correspondence from your office have always been dealt with promptly, although, as advised in my interim response, I understand that my officials experienced technical difficulties in getting responses to your staff in August because they are not able to e-mail Assembly Members direct. The officials concerned  alerted members of staff in your office to this problem at the time and re-directed the e-mails. To avoid this happening in the future please direct e-mails through my office.

I can also confirm that you were informed of my decision to call in the application on 16 October, the same day as the local planning authority.