RESIDENTS living in a mews in Romsey town centre are calling for an application for a rear dormer to go back before the planning committee due to 'procedural inadequacies'.

People living in Coachmakers Mews objected to the scheme, submitted by Rita Jarvis for the property at 31 Latimer Street, saying it was overbearing. 

Test Valley Borough Council's southern area planning committee permitted the application on Tuesday, August 13, with eight votes for and three abstentions. 

Douglas Weeks, of Coachmakers Mews, spoke at the meeting on behalf of the residents. Now the residents have written to the council's head of planning Simon Finch.

The letter said: “When we all attended the meeting on August 13, at no time in the approval process did any of the committee members seek clarification of the specifics of our objections.

“There were so many reasons for our objections that our spokesperson, Mr Weeks, was unable to raise them all in the miserly three minutes for which he was allowed to speak. So did the councillors really know the full extent of the resident’s objections?

Douglas Weeks speaking to the planning committee (Image: Newsquest)

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“One councillor, Sandra Gidley, was unfortunately unable to attend the meeting. At the conclusion of their limited discussion of the application, the chairman read out a letter from Cllr Gidley in which she repeated, and supported, many of the submitted objections to this application. Our clear impression was that this letter was ignored by the councillors since they had already made up their minds.”

It added: “We must also point out that although this was a public meeting, much of the councillors' limited discussions were inaudible to the public due to mumbling amongst themselves by councillors or answers being obstructed because the speakers were behind their laptops.

“It is our contention that in view of the many procedural inadequacies and factually incorrect reports received at the meeting that the application should be re-called for a proper review with adequate time allowed for the views of everyone affected by the application, including your own conservation officer, prior to a final decision.”

A total of eight objections were submitted. Romsey Town Council's planning committee submitted no objection. 

Speaking at the planning committee, Cllr Alan Dowden said: “Romsey Town Council has not objected to this and they are thorough on every application. I see no problem with this.”