SIR – Bradford Council has rightly been criticised by the local government ombudsman (T&A, January 2) for failing to record why its Planning Panel approved an application for a pub to be turned into a mosque despite expert advice to block the conversion.
The ombudsman had interviewed members of the planning committee, but many were unable to remember why they granted planning permission.
Indeed, some of the reasons that were given were not even material planning considerations!
This, it has to be said, gives us all little confidence once again in these planning panels. One also has to ask just what training members receive. At the moment it would appear to be totally inadequate.
There surely needs to be an urgent root and branch review of the planning process.
Yet another amateurish council shambles it would seem, and perhaps another legacy of the poor controls of the recently departed, and little missed, chief executive Tony Reeves?
Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon
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