Milton Keynes warehouse: Residents question Dorfman review's 'impartiality'

This picture, taken by a drone, shows the 20,522-sq-m (24,544-sq-yard) warehouse and its proximity to housing

People living near an "oppressive" warehouse have questioned the "impartiality" of a review into its construction.

An interim planning review found the decision to approve the building in Milton Keynes had been "bona fide."

Blakelands Residents' Association said a document written before review author Marc Dorfman was appointed "completely undermines" his work.

Milton Keynes Council said the appointment followed normal processes.

Mr Dorfman is due to publish his final report on the warehouse, described by residents as a "huge, enormous monstrosity," in March.

• 'Huge' warehouse decision 'bona fide,' review says

• 'This huge, horrible warehouse spoilt our lives'

• 'Oppressive' warehouse error to be probed

The building on Yeomans Drive was granted planning permission in May 2017 and it was built in 2018.

Some neighbours had previously expressed concerns about the planning process, including questions about how a number of conditions, relating to noise barriers and trees, were not included in the final documents.

Following an internal audit in February 2019 the council decided to review the decision.

Thirteen of the conditions attached to the construction of the warehouse had disappeared by the time a decision notice on the development was finalised

A preliminary version of Mr Dorfman's much-delayed review was published in November 2020.

In it, he said of the council's development control committee: "I have found the decision bona fide and proper."

The BBC has now seen a confidential document, dated 19 March 2019, detailing conversations between Mr Dorfman and the council prior to his appointment.

It refers to an earlier meeting described as "an interview to see if MD [Mark Dorfman] might be suitable for the job".

Richard and Davina Scholefield live in the shadow of the warehouse and fear what the noise will be like when it is eventually rented out

The document said after that meeting and following analysis of eight planning documents, Mr Dorfman said "the report was not very good and neither was the scheme" and it contained issues of "poor practice".

However, it added that he told the council "the officer recommendation is in fact sound".

This document was written months before Mr Dorfman was awarded the contract to review the warehouse planning process on 20 May 2019.

Blakelands Residents' Association said it "completely undermines the external review and Marc Dorfman".

Davina Scholefield, who lives in Telford Way on the estate, said: "How can he be impartial when he's already come up with preliminary conclusions?"

The new warehouse is 3,000 sq m (32,291 sq ft) bigger and at least 6.5m (21ft) taller than its predecessor

An independent planning consultant, who did not want to be named, told the BBC it "would not be unusual" for a council to meet a consultant before commissioning them.

He said: "If Milton Keynes Council were serious about uncovering whether the whole process was robust, they would have set out the terms of the investigation - probably meeting with the consultant and discussing the issues - but allowing the consultant to come to their own view."

Mr Dorfman said the March 2019 document "was produced to illustrate my initial comments".

He said: "Whenever I have gone for a job, the interview panel has usually asked me 'to demonstrate that you can do the job; how would you do the job and what are your initial thoughts about the job?'.

"These were also the questions asked at my MKC [Milton Keynes Council] interview."

He said he had made it clear the views expressed at the time were "initial views" and "it was taken as read" he may "come to a different view" later.

A Milton Keynes Council spokesman said: "The appointment followed normal council processes."