Renewed calls are being made for an independent inquiry into a Suffolk council's planning department following multiple public meetings being cancelled.

Burstall Parish Council and Community Alliance for a Rural Environment (CARE) Suffolk have jointly made calls for Babergh District Council to be investigated. 

In 2024, the council's planning committee held five public planning meetings,  cancelling 17. 

Mid Suffolk District Council sees fewer cancellations, with 10 being cancelled and 12 being held since the start of 2024. 

CARE Suffolk allege officers at Babergh have more control over planning and development compared to democratically elected councillors. 

However, a Babergh District Council spokesperson said committees were cancelled due to a lack of planning applications and the authority operated in accordance with its planning charter which is reviewed by councillors.

They began calling for investigations after Enso Energy's approval.They began calling for investigations after Enso Energy's approval. (Image: Newsquest)

CARE Suffolk is a group of residents representing Flowton, Burstall, Barking Tye, Bramford, Somersham and Elmsett.

Its members Steven Godfrey and Barry Gasper, both members of Burstall Parish Council, have been calling for an independent review of the committee.

They said: "The number of cancelled planning meetings just shows the undemocratic side of the district council. 

"There should be a process whereby most of the work for planning is done by the elected councillors and not the officers."

They have previously called for an independent review and would like someone to be appointed who can oversee how the district council is dealing with planning applications. 

Their renewed call for an inquiry comes in the wake of the council having to pay Enso Energy £110,000 in costs after it decided not to defend the refusal of a solar farm application following legal advice.

The pair say they are not against development in their area, but want a more transparent and democratic planning process. 

The Babergh spokesperson said: “We can assure everyone that all applications are dealt with in accordance with the council’s planning charter, which our councillors review to ensure decisions are made in the correct way – and that we continue to outperform national targets, both for deciding applications on time and for the low number of decisions overturned at appeal."

The spokesperson said the council's committee met as and when required but a lack of new projects due to high inflation and high interest rates impacting developers had reduced the need for it to do so.