Calderdale Council has been asked to “sharpen its teeth” when it comes to enforcing planning approval conditions after a councillor’s claims that an historic clock which should have been protected was removed.

When permission was granted to redevelop Hipperholme Library, a condition was included to safeguard the clock, says one of the ward councillors for the area Councillor George Robinson.

The clock was bought after community fundraising and installed outside the library in 1971 in memory of a family who died in a plane crash, he said.

Coun Robinson said he was taking the specific incident up with planning officers but it raised a more general point.

placeholder image — Coun George Robinson

“There is a theme here and I’ve come across it many times whilst I have been a councillor – that developers are not complying with planning conditions.

“Some of them are, some of them aren’t and when they’re not it is having devastating consequences for our residents and communities.

“Are you ready to sharpen the council’s teeth when it comes to enforcement?” Coun Robinson asked in a questions-to-cabinet session.

Cabinet member for Climate Action and Housing, Coun Scott Patient, said Coun Robinson had hit on a relevant point and while some developers did good, others pushed the envelope as far as they could.

“That’s where our planning enforcement team come in to make sure that what they are doing is in the realms of what the planning application looks like and as robust as it needs to be,” he said.

Coun Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said the Local Plan gave the council extra strength although there were issues with applications that came in before it was approved.