ON Wednesday I witnessed the perverse planning approval of a commercial firm’s proposal to build an unnecessary special needs school in the countryside at Jubilee Farm, near Heighington.

Despite a demonstrable lack of proof of need (and firm evidence to the contrary), inadequate transport proposals and a direct admission of contravention to Darlington Borough Council’s own local plan, councillors reverted to type and political lines to approve the plans.

Those of us who put time, effort and money into challenging the application and engaging professional planning consultants to represent the views of many concerned parties feel that we may as well not have bothered.

Given the wholly unsatisfactory presentation of the merits of both sides’ arguments to the meeting by the council’s own planning officer and the willingness by some councillors to accept the applicant’s assertions at face value, the result is perhaps not surprising. It is however, a disgrace.

Paul Barron, Heighington.