A resident hit out at alleged “irregularities” in a planning process after council officers gave the nod to an “overbearing” extension to a house.

At a meeting of the Hendon Area Planning Committee last night (September 3), neighbour Geoffrey Charin said the decision on the planning website was changed from “rejected” to “pending” – with no explanation for the apparent U-turn.

After hearing evidence from neighbours, councillors threw out the plans for an infill extension at the back of 10 And 11 Old Rectory Gardens, Edgware.

Their decision came after serious concerns were raised about the planning process that led neighbours to complain to the local government ombudsman.

Barnet Council’s planning officers said the proposed extensions – which came on top of larger previous extensions – “are not considered to be harmful to the character and appearance of the properties, the wider area or amenity”.

But neighbours protested their privacy and security would be infringed and claimed many residents had not had the chance to object because they had not received letters notifying them of the plans.

Alice Nampiira, who lives on Manor Park Gardens, said: “All the communication that was sent our way never arrived – otherwise we wouldn’t be in this position now.”

Mr Charin, also of Manor Park Gardens, questioned how councillors could have any faith in planning officers who admitted that a previously approved extension had caused harm to neighbours.

He said: “It was announced on your website that [the application] was rejected, but a day later it reverted to ‘pending’ – why?”

Mr Charin added that three planning officers who were inclined to reject proposals were overruled by the head of service, who had not visited the site.

He added: “We have repeatedly asked what drove this intervention, but we have been ignored.

“All irregularities are now being investigated by the ombudsman, and we do not believe this committee should be approving this application without knowing exactly what pressures planning officers came under to change their minds or be overruled.”

Mr Charin said neighbours had submitted a freedom of information request to receive all correspondence between Re – the council’s outsourced planning arm – and the developers.

But he claimed they were told it was not in the public interest to release the information.

A planning officer told the committee: “As far as I am aware, all the information that was requested that we had was released.”

Addressing the supposed irregularities, she said planning officers had conflicting opinions as to whether to approve or review the application and the head of service stepped in to make a final judgement.

The applicant, Syd Hathi, defended his proposals and said he had tried to work with neighbours to address their concerns.

But councillors voted down the plans on the grounds that the extension would be overbearing and could cause security problems for neighbours.

Committee chair and Conservative member for Edgware Brian Gordon said: “I am uneasy about this. It seems to me we are starting from a position that is already uncomfortable.

“It seems to be a massive enclosure bearing down on these properties.

“I am also slightly concerned that when we went to see it, we were being guided to look at it only from the Rectory Gardens.”

Five members of the committee voted to reject the plans, with two abstentions.