DECISION makers in Tendring may need more training on planning law after taxpayers had to cover a bill of more than £100,000 due to a “bad committee decision”.

Tendring Council has to pay £101,886 to Kelsworth Limited after a planning application for the development of 180 homes on land at St John's Plant Centre, in Earls Hall Drive, Clacton, was overturned by the planning inspectorate.

Planning policy and local plan committee chairman Carlo Guglielmi told the council's cabinet on Friday that the decision to refuse the application showed councillors needed more training on planning.

The plans were initially turned down by Tending Council’s planning committee in May last year over concerns about the impact of noise, vibration, and light on nearby homes.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Site - St John's Plant CentreSite - St John's Plant Centre

However, the developers challenged the committee's decision in an appeal.

Planning inspector Benjamin Webb ruled in the developer’s favour in March this year, citing the council’s lack of consistency in decision-making, as evidenced by their previous acceptance of a similar development on the same site in 2020 which utilised the same proposed access.

He also highlighted the council’s failure to provide a clear explanation or justification for a change in their approach to assessment, specifically regarding concerns related to light, vibration, and noise compared to the previous scheme and the appeal scheme.

Mr Guglielmi said: “This cost came about because of a bad committee decision and I think the sooner we get training to members of the committee to drive into their minds while the democratic process should not be tampered with, that decision-making, especially in planning, this gives you a really good example of what to take into consideration and what not to take into consideration.”

The council's deputy chief executive agreed the authority "may have to look at doing some more training".

Andy Baker, the councillor responsible for housing and planning, said: “It is clearly regrettable the inspector overturned the council’s decision and felt it necessary to award costs against us.

“Since the adoption of the council’s local plan, we have seen a considerable drop in the number of speculative planning applications being submitted and the number of council decisions on major applications being overturned in appeal."