A Hendon ward councillor has slammed a developer for a ‘disgusting, underhand threat to drag the area down’ if a second planning application is not granted.
Labour’s Councillor Michael Mordey has condemned the behaviour of the developer behind plans for a children’s day centre at Rowlandson House, after a letter from their planning consultant – Dr Anton Lang of Anton Lang Planning Services Ltd – said that the owner would seek to convert the building for use ‘for the rehabilitation of young offenders; for the accommodation for children & young adults in care or with problems (mental, emotional or physical); residences for people coming out of care (for example from hospital, perhaps with dementia, mental health issues, misuse of alcohol or drugs, learning difficulties, eating or other disorders); and/or, the provision of care or training for new residents to this country, and/or asylum seekers’, if a second application is refused.
The first application went before Sunderland City Council’s Planning Committee in October 2019 and was refused due to concerns about the impact the plans would have on those living in the local area. The decision was then upheld by the independent Planning Inspectorate following an appeal by the applicant in June 2020.
Now the owners of the building, on the corner of Villette Road and Ryhope Road in Hendon, are submitting a second revised application to Sunderland City Council, to once again try to get their plans over the line. This time, they are threatening a ‘fall-back position’ that Cllr Mordey says would have ‘a totally undesirable impact on the local community’.
“I am absolutely disgusted by the actions of this agent and his client,” he said.
“They are essentially blackmailing the local area into accepting proposals that have already been rejected by the planning committee and kicked out by the independent Planning Inspectorate on appeal. Or they will – out of what appears to be nothing more than spite – threaten local people and the local area with all kinds of other bad neighbour uses, if they don’t bow down.”
The agent sent a letter to local councillors, as well as planning officers at the council, making clear the developer’s ‘fall-back’ position if the second planning application is not given the green light.
“They are effectively saying to local people, ‘shut up, we do not care what your views are, we know what is best for you and your local area not you and, if you are going to try and oppose us, we will make sure we put something worse there’. It is completely disgusting and underhand to threaten the local community in this way.”
Councillor Mordey will be sending a letter to local residents to understand their views on the revised plans submitted for the building and ensure he can represent their views when the application goes before planning again.
“COVID-19 restrictions make it difficult to knock on doors and speak to people face to face, but I am absolutely determined to understand the views of the local community, and ensure that residents in the Hendon ward have their say.
“We will not be bullied. We will make our own mind up about the proposals and, as a ward councillor, I will make sure that the views of people in my community are represented when these plans are presented to the committee.”