A COUNCILLOR wants an independent inquiry into the planning process for a controversial Skelton housing development.

Coun Brian Briggs, who is a member of Redcar and Cleveland planning committee and represents Skelton, was due to present his concerns about phase two of Wimpey's Church Hill development at a planning committee scrutiny meeting yesterday.

He was also expected to ask the committee to consider whether any further action should be taken, including referring the matter to the local government ombudsman.

In his report, Coun Briggs said representatives from Wimpey agreed to reduce the scheme from 52 three-storey houses to two-storey homes at a site visit on November 9.

This followed pressure from residents, who felt the proposal was out of step with a rural area.

But at a planning committee meeting on December 2, attended by a different Wimpey representative, a revised application for 45 three-storey houses and just seven two-storey homes, was approved.

Coun Briggs' claims are supported by letters from a number of residents who attended the November 9 site meeting. Each says the Wimpey representatives made it clear that the three-storey element of the scheme would be changed back to two-storey.

This is backed up by planning committee minutes which say that a spokesman for the developer "stated that he would be quite happy to amend the application to satisfy the concerns about the three-storey properties and would have no objection to reducing the height of the properties to two storeys."

Coun Briggs told the D&S Times that he would still like to see Wimpey reduce the scale of the scheme:

He said: "I would think what I am doing by requesting this meeting is unprecedented, but I feel so strongly about it. There is something not right here, and I think it needs exposing.

"The objectors have had a real raw deal. All I can do is bring the injustice to people's attention and see what happens from there."

Coun Peter Spencer, chairman of the planning committee, said : "We have given Coun Briggs this opportunity to speak, but we cannot go back on our decision."

George Wimpey Northern failed to respond to calls from the D&S Times