A Yeovil man has failed to convince the local ombudsman about a building-related complaint.
Mr S. Mak, of 19 Highfield Road, lodged a complaint against Yeovil Town Council and South Somerset District Council after permission was given to build 12 flats on land at King Street, Yeovil.
It was back in October last year that permission was first sought. Permission was not given because it was felt that the proposal was, among other reasons, too imposing on the surrounding area.
But a revised application in January this year was successful. The applicant submitted plans that featured smaller flats and a lower building.
Mr Mak, however, complained to the local ombudsman, saying the two councils had failed to adequately consider the effect of the development on the amenities of neighbours.
He also claimed the decision in January was inconsistent with the one taken the previous year.
NO JURISDICTION
The ombudsman ex-plained that he had no jurisdiction over the town council (which only makes a recommendation on applications of this size) and could only deal with the district council.
In a letter to Mr Mak, the ombudsman writes: "While I recognise the reasons why you and others living nearby objected to the proposed development, your views were brought to the attention of the members of the area committee (of the district council) and were taken into consideration before a decision was made.
"While members may have reached an initial view, which appears could be the case here, this is not the same as going into the meeting with a closed mind, refusing to consider anything that was said."
"The ombudsman would normally only criticise a council for inconsistency if different decisions were made on identical applications within a short period of time. In this case, there were differences between the two applications.
"My initial view is that there are insufficient grounds for the ombudsman to pursue your complaint."