A LABOUR councillor has blasted a Conservative counterpart for doing residents a “disservice” by incorrectly claiming that local councillors can refuse decisions made by the planning inspectorate.

Councillor Hannah Roberts, the cabinet member for housing at Oldham Council, has sent an open letter to Conservative councillor Beth Sharp urging her to lobby for change within her party when it comes to planning policy instead of “misleading” residents.

It comes after a planning dispute over a multi-million housing development off Haven Lane in Moorside, Oldham.

The plans for 23 homes off Haven Lane had been rejected by Oldham’s planning committee back in 2016.

But that was overturned at an informal appeal by the planning inspector.

Costs of £35,000 were awarded against the council for unreasonable behaviour for refusing the matter on highways issues.

The council’s head of planning at the time warned it had already cost the council thousands and that the proposed dwellings met national space standards after consultation with officers and the developer.

The application went back to the planning committee in 2019 and was approved.

The application was voted through by a majority of councillors, with just Cllr Javid Iqbal voting against.

READ MORE: Housing planning refusal cost council £35k

Labour councillor Angela Cosgrove criticised the Conservative government for making it “easier and easier for developers to build what they like”.

She added: “The reality is the Conservatives are making it easier and easier for developers to build what they like, and local councillors and communities are having any ability to resist, or work with developers to improve the plans, taken away from them.”

In response, Councillor Sharp said: "Whilst I am not in the business of playing the blame game, this development was granted planning permission by the Labour dominated planning committee, at which they could have chosen to refuse the decision by the inspectorate."

The statement prompted anger from Councillor Hannah Roberts who wrote in a letter to Cllr Sharp: “By stating that the “planning committee … could have chosen to refuse the decision by the Inspectorate” you do our residents a disservice, because that is simply untrue. Once a decision has been overturned on appeal, planning permission has been given and no Planning Committee can subsequently decide to refuse. It is misleading to suggest otherwise.”

In her letter, Cllr Roberts criticises government proposals to remove the right for residents to comment on individual planning applications and highlights the Conservative Party’s “reliance” on donations from developers.

Cllr Roberts also accuses the Government’s housing targets, which she calls “arbitrary”, of putting “acute pressure” on Greenbelt land across the borough.

On receiving the letter, Cllr Sharp hit back.

She said: "Local planning matters and decisions are taken locally. They are voted upon locally. But again, we see Labour councillors refusing to take responsibility for those decisions."

She added:"The planning committee voted on this matter and voted in favour of approval, with one dissenting voice, which wholly undermines Councillor Roberts suggestion that this could not have been refused.

"I was surprised to receive such a letter on Oldham Council letterheaded paper, given the content of the letter. Given Councillor Roberts is meant to represent Royton North, I am sure Royton residents would love to know why she has suddenly taken a deep interest in planning matters in St. James’ given that this was approved over two years ago."

Cllr Sharp added that she will continue to work with residents on the Haven Lane development.