CITY of York Council has revealed that it turned down only one of its own planning applications in the past five years.

The authority said that out of 134 applications it submitted to itself, 110 were approved, one - an advert application - was part approved and part refused, and just one was refused, with the rest being withdrawn.

It also said 92 of the applications were decided by officers with delegated powers and 31 were sent to a planning committee, while the remaining 11 had yet to be validated or were withdrawn.

Independent councillor Mark Warters, who obtained the figures, said he asked for them after being disheartened by the council's decision to approve two blocks of flats on open space near York's Rowntree Park, despite furious objections from local residents.

The authority's proposals for eight affordable two-bedroom apartments behind Fenwick Street attracted 38 objections and a petition signed by 36 people.

He said the new statistics substantiated his fears that if the council submitted a planning application to itself, there was no point in local residents objecting because the authority would approve it anyway. He said he believed the potential conflict of interest posed by councils determining their own applications should be addressed at a national level by MPs and the Government.

Mike Slater, assistant director of city and environmental services at the council, said that with the exception of Park&Ride schemes, the majority of planning applications approved were small scale schemes such as alterations to council buildings and schools, including new and modular classrooms, fences, small car parks and new footpaths.

“Nationally it’s best practice for local authorities to seek pre-application planning advice at an early stage to ensure that development proposals which come forward as planning applications meet local and national planning requirements," he said.

"It would be unusual for an authority to submit an application if they had been advised that a scheme could not be supported.

“In these circumstances we would expect that a high proportion of council applications would be recommended for approval and that unacceptable applications are withdrawn. The data for York reflects this expectation.”

*The application which was refused permission was for a single storey rear extension, two extra parking spaces and a replacement cycling shelter and storage units at The Glen Nursery, Ousecliffe Gardens.