Applicant blames council delays for need to resubmit planning request

Permission was granted in 2022 but has since expired

A company which successfully applied for planning permission from Cherwell District Council says it’s had to resubmit its application after council officers failed to deal with issues, leading to the original application expiring.

Longmill Rickbost Dexter Ltd want to convert the properties on the corner of Horsefair and Banbury High Street into retail and restaurant units on the ground floor and a house of multiple occupation on the upper floors.

The applicant previously received approval for the changes at 39-40A High Street and 1 Horsefair back in 2021.  An amendment was passed in 2022.   The window to begin work under the original application lasted three years and lapsed this March.

The company says the current application would not have been required “if the conditions had been discharged within a timely manner.”

A Planning and Design Access Statement states: “Clearly without these conditions being discharged it was not possible to commence development works with the uncertainty of whether and when these conditions would be discharged.

“This unacceptable delay by Cherwell District Council in terms of discharging conditions has resulted in my client being unable to commence development and now having to resubmit these applications causing even more delay and considerable further costs.   We trust that the Council will now be able to allow our client to be exempt from having to pay the planning application fee or for this at least to be at a significant reduced amount.”

Banbury FM has contacted Cherwell District Council offering them a chance to comment on this story.

---

Published: 28/08/2024 06:00pm by Banbury FM Newsteam

---