This planning application continues the steady flow of applications drawn up by professional firms which conveniently don’t mention public rights of way directly affected by the proposed development. In this case Holmfirth Footpath 135 at Near Mount Farm. The blog will continue to highlight this problem in the hope that doing so may encourage better practice from these companies. Public rights of way are a material consideration in the planning process and it is difficult to see how they can be properly considered when they are not even mentioned.
I believe the Council should simply send the forms back with a covering letter to say the application is invalid in these circumstances. They could then charge the applicants for a second and hopefully correct application. Another little money saving tip for the bankrupt bureaucrats.
Rather tellingly the only consultee responses published are from Kirklees Prow and Highways who point out that the legal line of the path through the site is actually currently obstructed. Surprise! Surprise! as Cilla used to say 🙂 Who’d have thought it?
Path Watch 