Eric Pickles’ legacy – the Co-op apply to build on Oakfield Rec

No sooner had the smoke cleared from the general election than the Co-op applied for planning permission to build 60 houses on Oakfield Recreation Ground.

Details of their planning application can be found on the Rugby Borough Council planning portal under planning application R13/1528.

Rugby Borough Council has given planning permission for 6,000 houses to be built on the radio masts site. Enough to meet Rugby's needs for many years to come. So how is it that a developer believes they have an opportunity to get planning permission to build on one of Rugby's green spaces?

The reason is that Eric Pickles, the conservative minister who used to be responsible for planning, rejected the advice of Parliament to close a loophole in his own National Policy Planning Framework. A loophole which is proving profitable to developers up and down the country - see http://rugby.lib.dm/a4Rjk .

David Cameron has now sacked Eric Pickles and replaced him with Greg Clark (Con, Tunbridge Wells). Whether Mr Clark will show that he is as disgusted as Rugby Liberal Democrats with Eric Pickles' failure to plug this loophole remains to be seen.

Meanwhile Rugby Borough Council will have to make its own mind up on the merits of the Co-op's application. Details of how to comment on the planning application can be found on the Council's planning portal.