PLANNERS have defended themselves after being criticised by a member of the public who felt they were not doing their job properly.

Roger Kordas accused Malvern Hills District Council’s planning department after he said it failed to voice its opposition to turn part of a kennels near his home into a pet crematorium even though it contravened a council policy (called DS1).

The policy, which aims to prevent development in open countryside unless it enhances or maintains the landscape character and biodiversity of the area, was subsequently used by Wor-cestershire County Council’s planning and regulatory committee to refuse the application by Lee Childs, owner of Brookend Kennels in Stocks Lane, Leigh Sinton, near Malvern, at the beginning of this month.

Mr Childs said he would appeal against that decision.

In a letter to Malvern Hills’ planners, a copy of which was sent to your Worcester News, Mr Kordas said he was “so angry” with the way the district council had acted.

“You owe the people of Stocks Lane an apology for not representing them correctly,” he wrote.

A spokes-man for Malvern Hills Hills District Council (MHDC) said its councillors were not asked to debate the application in the normal way because it related to waste - all such matters go straight to county council level for consideration.

Officers at County Hall did write to MHDC asking its planners for their views and comments on the application but the spokesman said officers did not raise a formal objection because they felt the incinerator’s use would be low given its small capacity.

“MHDC concluded that the development could be carried out in a sustainable way with regard to travel patterns,” she said. “Also, while the proposal would introduce a new use to the site, that new use would not be at odds with the policy requirements of DS1 as it would generate such a low level of activity that would be compatible to the existing commercial kennel use at the site.”

The spokesman said no objection was raised on the basis that the proposed equipment could be operated at the site without having an adverse impact on those people living nearby.