Bringing planning into disrepute

IF ever there was a story to bring the planning system into disrepute, surely it is the continuing saga of the Risley Landfill Site.
After being refused planning consent to continue tipping for a further three years, waste disposal giants Biffa appealed and forced Warrington Borough Council to spend some £75,000 fighting a public inquiry.
The council won – and the company was told it must wind up its tipping operation according to the original planning consent. Which should mean they have already stopped tipping.
What happens? The company says it needs more time to complete restoration of the site. How much more time? Why, three years, of course! Two years more tipping and one year for restoration.
Their application comes before Warrington’s development control committee on Wednesday, January 17 with an officers’ recommendation that it be approved.
We think the company should be told enough is enough.
We acknowledge that if the plan which went to the public inquiry had gone ahead it would have involved the loss of valuable farmland which will not be required for the new proposal.
But we point out that, from the outset, the company has known its planning consent ran out in October this year. It should, and could, have organised its work so that restoration of the tip was completed by then.
It could be argued that the work took longer than expected and it became impossible to meet the October deadline.
But to us it looks more like a cynical manipulation of planning regulations.