Developers hold Watford councillors 'over a barrel' in bid for planning permission (From Watford Observer)

Developers hold Watford councillors 'over a barrel' in bid for planning permission

5:20pm Monday 6th July 2009

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A case of “developer's creep” left councillors fuming after they were pushed “over a barrel” by local developers.

Eleven months after winning approval to build a detached four-bedroom house in the side garden of 80 Ridge Lane, developers returned to Watford Borough Council for permission to change the original scheme.

“I do get frustrated with developers when we agree one thing and they come back and try to take a few more metres.

Councillor Steve Rackett

The new house would now be a three bedroom property, an integral garage would be removed, with one bedroom having an en-suite bathroom, alongside another bedroom, family bathroom and a study.

The third bedroom would be placed with a bathroom in the loft space.

Fran Clarke, a resident from Ridge Lane who claimed to speak for another resident in Blackley Close, argued the new house would have a larger footprint than the previous application, to the detriment of neighbours.

She said: “I believe this is a backwards step to the original application.”

Planning officers stated in their report the new plan was “around ten square metres” larger than 80 Ridge Lane and the approved scheme.

At a meeting of Watford Borough Council's development control committee on Thursday, councillor Steve Rackett said: “I do get frustrated with developers when we agree one thing and they come back and try to take a few more metres.

"It seems to me now we've agreed the first application we're bound to agree the second. If we were presented with this as the first application, we might have said it might be an over-intensification of the site.

“When developers do this it's very frustrating. They are just trying to steal a little more space because they have got their foot in the door.”

Councillor George Derbyshire said: “We did approve something that was acceptable. Now the application has come back wanting more. The additions make this application unacceptable.”

But David Noble, Watford Borough Council's development manager, warned there were no grounds for refusal that would stand up under the scrutiny of a planning inspector.

Councillor Zoe McQuire said: “It's definitely developer's creep. I would vote it through with a heavy heart. I dislike this type of thing intensely and we seek reasons where we can say no. I don't like it and resent it where developer's push this sort of thing through where we don't have a chance.”

Committee chairman Alan Burtenshaw added: “We are over a barrel.”

The plan was approved, though councillors took “a crumb of comfort” from the fact the future homeowners would lose their permitted development rights as a condition of the planning permission.

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