Council could face a bill of £450k after 'major failings'

HUNDREDS OF PLANNING APPLICANTS DIDN'T GET THE REFUNDS THEY WERE ENTITLED TO

- CHRIS GEE

A DECADE of 'major failings' in Bolton's planning service has left the council with a potential £450,000 bill to pay hundreds of applicants who were not given refunds they were entitled to.

Under planning law, applicants should be offered an automatic refund if their case was not decided within a set period with no extension agreed.

However, from 2013 until November 2023, 'an absence of key governance and control arrangements' within the authority's planning function meant no refunds were offered to planning applicants who did not have their application decided within 26 weeks.

The issue only came to light after a member of the public informed council leaders of their obligations under current legislation.