A YORK architect has called for planning committee members to put their hands in their pockets or resign after one of their decisions was overturned on appeal.

Matthew Laverack, of Laverack Associates in Lord Mayor's Walk, said time and money has been wasted by City of York Council after an application by Neil and Kimberley Kew to build a single-storey extension on their house in Heworth Hall Drive was rejected by planning committee members.

Council officers had recommended that the application be approved, but at a meeting in January the application was refused - a decision Mrs Kew described as "unbelievable".

The couple went to appeal in August and were informed yesterday that planning permission had been granted.

Mr Laverack, who is acting as agent for the couple, said the council had more important things to spend money on than defending appeals and has called for members to meet the costs from their allowances or resign.

He said: "The actual costs figure has yet to be agreed between the parties, or thrashed out in court, but it will certainly be a four-figure sum.

"This money would be better spent on providing much-needed services in this city - or reducing the increasing financial burden which falls on council tax payers year after year.

"Those members of the planning committee who voted to refuse this perfectly acceptable little domestic extension against the advice of their own planning officers should now meet the award of costs out of their allowances - or else resign and make way for other individuals who are prepared to serve responsibly and be financially accountable."

Councillor Ken King, who sits on the north-east planning committee, defended the committee's decision and said it was not taken lightly.

He said: "If Mr Laverack is saying that we should never go against officers' recommendations we might as well do away with the committee altogether.

"Would he be as opposed if officers had recommended refusal and we disagreed with officers and approved?

"I take a particular application and judge it on its own merits, bearing in mind the officers' recommendation.

"I trust their judgement, but there are times when we have to go the opposite way.

"If a decision is taken at appeal, I gracefully accept that decision.

"That's not to say I'll hold my hands up and say I was wrong and that I cost the council money, therefore I must pay it back.

"If that was the case you wouldn't have councillors prepared to sit on any committee."

Roy Templeman, director of environment and development services for City of York Council, said committees were there to consider all sides of the story.

Updated: 11:33 Thursday, October 11, 2001