Planners' inconsistencies over hotel applications criticised by tribunal
DOUBTS have been cast over planning approval granted for the redevelopment of Hotel les Carterets and St Martin's Hotel.
A damning appraisal of the handling of the two applications by Environment and Commerce and Employment was given by an independent planning tribunal, which was hearing an appeal against planners' decision to reject proposals to turn the former Manor Hotel into a care home.
The tribunal, which has now granted permission for the Manor Hotel development, attacked the two departments for the way they dealt with earlier planning applications for Hotel les Carterets, pictured, and St Martin's Hotel, labelling the assessment process 'seriously flawed' and 'inconsistent' and giving 'insufficient regard' to policy requirements.
A joint statement from the departments said they accepted the tribunal's decision to overturn the Manor Hotel rejection and had identified where improvements could be made.
Environment also acknowledged that in the two previous hotel cases, both the submission of information and the resulting assessment process were 'more flexibly applied' than in the case of Manor Hotel.
