Developer apologises for unauthorised building work

Markden Homes boss Mark Ellis apologised to councillors for breaching planning permission

A developer has apologised for unauthorised building work on a site in Tean, near Cheadle, Staffordshire.

Markden Homes was originally given approval for 40 homes on Tenford Lane in February, but work went ahead that effectively revised the plan.

Permission for those revisions and other proposed changes was refused on Thursday.

The company’s managing director Mark Ellis apologised to members of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's planning committee for the work that had already been carried out, but he said objections were more about punishing the firm than applying planning reasons.

Appeal

The tweaked application significantly reduces the number of three-bedroom properties from 21 to nine. Consequently, the number of two and four-bedroom houses has both increased by six, amounting to a project of 14 two-bed properties and 17 four-bed properties.

Mr Ellis said the committee's decision would not stop the development in general and indicated the company would appeal.

He said until that appeal had been heard, work would be halted on the small number of houses affected by the planning breach.

“We were caught up in a perfect storm of incompetence and unreasonable behaviour and this application should have been before you in August, then September, then October, then November and here we are in December,” he said.

“It’s apparent that the objections to this application are more about punishing me and my company and the several local businesses we employ rather than any sound planning reason, which is wrong.”

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.