Falkirk councillor’s failure to act denies Larbert couple a ‘fair hearing’ over extension plans

Dr Ronnie Sydney and his wife Sheona are about to lose the view – and the sunlight – they currently enjoy from the window of their living room at their home in Alloway Wynd and they believe much of the blame for this lies with Councillor Niall Coleman, who they say apologised to them for forgetting to call the matter in to the planning committee.

The Sydney’s neighbours put in a planning application to build the two storey high extension almost a year ago and it was granted planning permission under delegated powers – by planning officers – on May 25, 2018.

In the weeks before permission was granted the Sydneys objected to the plans and tried to have the matter go before the planning committee, talking to Councillor Coleman, Councillor David Grant and Provost Billy Buchanan.

Councillor Grant and Provost Buchanan both took a back seat because they had been assured Councillor Coleman would call the matter in.

Provost Buchanan said: “The couple told me Councillor Coleman was calling it in and they showed me an e-mail from him.”

Councillor Grant added: “I went out to meet the couple on a Bank Holiday Monday. I said I will call it in for you. Then on the Wednesday I got a phone call from them saying they were going to let Councillor Coleman call it in.”

Councillors receive a list of planning recommendations every week, allowing them to see which applications they may want to go before the planning committee. Through a freedom of information request the Sydney’s discovered Councillor Coleman was not on the list to receive these recommendations at the time.

According to council guidelines applications contained in the recommendations list will become formal decisions – made by council officers – unless a written request is received before the deadline from an elected member asking for referral of an application to the planning committee.

A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “The Sydney’s comments were fully taken into consideration and duly acknowledged in the assessment of this planning application. The planning decision letter, granting planning permission, was issued in line with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation procedures.”

Dr Sydney said: “We just wanted a fair hearing and have this possibly taken to a site visit. We don’t have anything against Councillor Coleman personally, we just wanted this application to be looked at.

“He held his hands up and admitted his mistake, but he did nothing to correct it.”

Mrs Sydney added: “We don’t have anything against our neighbours either – we objected to the scale of the development and the loss of light. We don’t feel like we have had a fair hearing.

“There has been a failure in the process.”

The couple showed The Falkirk Herald correspondence they said they received from Councillor Coleman.

It states: “I confirm my normal process was not followed, causing me to fail to honour the commitment I gave to you.”

The correspondence goes on to state: “On the week of May 21 I had a flare up of a chronic medical condition I was diagnosed with in February 2017, called Fibromyalgia. I accept full liability for my failing and understand if you wish report me to the Standards Commission or Ombudsman.”

The correspondence from Councillor Coleman stated his condition caused memory loss, disrupted fact retention and left him with poor concentration.

Councillor Coleman had not responded to The Falkirk Herald’s repeated e-mails and phone calls for comment as the newspaper went to press.

Back in January last year the SNP has looked to family first to select its candidate to fight a by-election in the hopes a son could carry on his late father’s work.

Falkirk SNP Group named then 35-year-old Niall Coleman as the man it believed best able to capture the Bonnybridge/Larbert seat which was left vacant when his dad, Provost and long serving councillor Tom Coleman (73) died in 2017.

Upon being selected as the official SNP candidate he said: “My family have been touched by the many cards, letters and phone messages of sympathy that came from all over the Bonnybridge and Larbert Ward when my father passed away.

“They convinced me that I should seek to not only preserve his legacy but also complete the projects such as the delivery of a Bonnybridge Rail Station.”

At the time Falkirk Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: “I am delighted Niall has put himself forward for election. Not only does he come to the table with bags of experience as a well known political activist, he brings with him the same burning desire to fight for better services for the community.”

Niall Coleman, who reportedly had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a year earlier, won the by-election on February 15, 2018 – just three months before he was contacted by the Sydneys to help with their planning issues.

He secured the seat with 1295 votes to beat Conservative candidate George Stevenson (1088) and Labour hope Linda Gow (813).