I READ with concern the letter from Julie Tempest, (Guardian, February 28) and am concerned as chair of the town council’s planning and licensing committee, that readers may think her words represent the truth about how the town council consider planning applications.

The purpose of the committee is to consider those applications, which we are consulted upon by the determining authority; Cheshire East, and to provide our comments and observations.

We can comment or object to applications but we do not approve or refuse them. As well as the committee’s chair I am also a chartered town planner with 25 years’ experience.

I can assure readers that the committee’s minutes are available for inspection by the public and are published both with the agenda of the next planning committee and the full town council meeting.

Meetings, which usually take place every three weeks, are held in public and an opportunity is provided for the public to speak on agenda items at the meeting.

I advised at the last meeting, that if a member of the public would like the committee to discuss a particular planning issue, I would be happy to consider adding it to the agenda; subject to it being within the remit of the committee in accordance with our published terms and conditions. In fact, I did so a few weeks back regarding S106 and CIL monies.

The town council considered the BeWILDerwood application some months ago at a well-attended public meeting and responded to the Primary Authority accordingly.

Comments will be included in the report presented to the Cheshire East committee, formally considering whether or not to approve the application.

I am aware that additional information was submitted recently to Cheshire East, but it did not present any changes to the application itself.

It is quite common with major applications for statutory consultees to seek further information or clarification from an applicant about issues pertaining to their area of expertise; highways, drainage, ecology etc.

This information, once received from the applicant, is passed to the relevant statutory consultees for their observations.

There is no requirement in the national planning procedures (backed up by statute) under which planning authorities are required to operate, which require re-consultation with all parties; unless the information presents a material change to the application.

I understand that the most recent information submitted in respect of BeWILDerwood does not meet this criterion.

Knutsford Town Council was not consulted on the additional information, so it was not appropriate for it to appear on the agenda.

I was asked informally about this by a member of the public before the meeting, so I decided to make an announcement as to why it was not on the agenda as a point of information.

I trust that I have clarified matters, however, should anyone doubt the appropriateness of the manner in which I conduct meetings of the planning and licensing committee that they come and see for themselves. Dates and agendas are available on the town council’s website.

Clr Stewart Gardiner Chair of Knutsford Town Council Planning and Licensing Committee