Council slammed
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THE FOREST of Dean District Council has been severely criticised by the acting Western Licencing Authority, Sir John Potter, for failing to attend a Cheltenham public inquiry to pursue a number of objections.
The council had opposed applications by five operators and Sir John said that it had written to say it would not be attending as it understood that the applications were to be dealt with under the old legislation and not the new.
Consequently, it considered it a waste of time and limited financial resourses to attend though it would like its objections to be taken into account.
Sir John said it was a pity that the council had not considered other peoples' financial resources. A lot of people had financial problems and did not want to waste money. Some of the applicants had taken legal advice as a result of the objections and considerable time had been spent by traffic area staff.
Statutory objectors should attend to press their objections and be cross-examined and not take the easy option of saying they were not attending but would like their objections taken into account.
Sir John said he paid scant regard to such objections. He granted four of the five applications.