The HMO conversion at 25 Upper High Street, Rhymney, was incorrectly approved due to an "administrative error," Caerphilly County Borough Council has admitted. The plans had already sparked controversy, with a local resident warning the property had been vandalized and threatened with arson.
Controversial HMO Plan
Council planning committee members postponed a decision in May following claims that Rhymney was bearing the brunt of HMO conversion applications disproportionately. The committee was due to reach a verdict at a subsequent meeting once the tally of HMOs in Rhymney had been established.
However, planning officers published a decision notice in mid-July using delegated authority instead. The decision came to the attention of Twyn Carno ward councillor Carl Cuss, who had objected to the application during the May meeting and had voiced concerns regarding the concentration of HMOs in the area.
Administrative Error Acknowledged
"There's clearly been an error here," said Cllr Cuss. "Councillors at the planning committee meeting deferred the decision and instructed [officers] to come up with an assessment of the amount of HMOs in Rhymney – because we weren't confident that planning and other departments are fully aware of the amount."
Labour's Cllr Cuss expressed his frustration that no planning officers attended to conduct the assessment, a task that instead fell to himself and two fellow Labour councillors from the neighbouring ward, Cllr David Harse and Cllr Mansell Powell.
"When I saw the decision had already been made, I was – as you can imagine – very annoyed," said Cllr Cuss. "We've done the assessment... and it hasn't gone back to the planning committee as it should do, as per the constitution. The officers have not followed the process, and my confidence now in the planning department is completely shattered."
The Labour councillor revealed he was contemplating referring the matter to the ombudsman over what he described as "incompetence in the way this has been handled." Regarding the future of the HMO proposal, he added: "Whatever the decision is going to be, whether it's for or against, my residents deserve answers."
Council Response
Responding to Cllr Cuss' remarks, a council spokesperson stated: "We can confirm an administrative error did occur and the applicant was incorrectly told that the planning application had been approved.
"Planning officers are now liaising with the applicant and exploring options to rescind the decision. The intention would then be for the application and any supporting information to be considered at a future planning committee [meeting]. We would like to apologise to all concerned as we seek to resolve this matter as quickly as possible."
