Last year, a government planning inspector, Mrs Miles, met with interested parties over an appeal for an egregious plan to erect a three storey building between the back of gardens at numbers 19 to 41 Mill Street, here in Oxford.
Unfortunately, the Council forgot to notify all of the interested parties – including homeowners – to the planning meeting with the result that the original meeting was adjourned.
Oxford City Council had to pay for this. At the subsequent meeting, where residents did attend, Mrs Miles told Tony Brett, the councillor present at the meeting, that the council would be fined for the cock-up.
We placed a freedom of information (FOI) request a few weeks ago asking how much Oxford City Council was fined.
Here’s the reply:
“Dear Mr Magee
“Further to the acknowledgement below, I can respond to your FOI request of
23^rd April 2013 as follows:
“The Council paid a total of £8,792.76 inclusive of VAT in costs for the
appeal in respect of the proposed three-storey building between Mill
Street and the railway line.
“Yours sincerely
“Michael Newman
Corporate Secretariat Manager”
Naturally, Oxford council tax payers will pick up the bill for the blunder. ♣
