Second report issued after Selby District Council refuses to accept ombudsman’s report

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has issued a second report into Selby District Council, after the authority refused to comply with recommendations made in a previous report.

In its first report, issued in October 2013, the LGO had asked the council to apologise to a couple after officers failed to deal properly with relevant and material considerations when assessing a planning application. The LGO also recommended that the council pay them £1,896 for the cost of their planning consultant’s fees along with a £250 ‘time and trouble’ payment.

The council does not accept the Ombudsman’s recommended remedy, in particular that it should reimburse the couple’s fees for professional planning advice. Therefore the LGO has issued a further report calling on the council to agree the remedy recommended.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, said:

“I have considered the council’s objections in detail and uphold my original decision. While our decision is final, it is now up to the council to decide how they implement the recommendations – the vast majority of authorities agree to them.

“I hope the council will reconsider its position so that the situation can be resolved and a satisfactory outcome can be achieved for the couple involved.”

Article date: 01 July 2014

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