The council spent about £500,000 of public money on work for a new recycling station – without getting planning permission from itself.
Councillors have condemned the decision to start work at Lyme Green, Sutton. The work was stopped after protests.
Sutton councillor and Cabinet member Hilda Gaddum, told a planning meeting she was ‘incensed’ when she saw a crane at the green belt site in October and realised work had begun before plans went in.
She said: "In all my 12 years as a councillor I have never ever known the council behave like this. The local community was being treated with contempt."
Referring to her assurances to the community that work had not started, she added: "I was made to look a fool – or worse – a liar. I cannot begin to describe my anger."
She added: "It has always been my understanding and belief if the council was applying to itself for permission it had to do everything by the book. This is definitely not the case here and I thoroughly deplore it and believe the local community has been treated shabbily."
Coun Gaddum spoke at a Cheshire East council strategic planning board meeting to consider the application for a waste transfer station at Lyme Green – finally submitted by the council in November 16 – but due to go to the Secretary of State for a final decision.
The application was for a 30mx30m, 11.8m-high building to store dry recycled waste at the existing highways depot.
An officer at the meeting claimed instructions to start work were given by corporate director John Nicholson.
Coun John Hammond added: "We are the council, we should be setting an example here."
Coun Gaddum also objected over dangerous traffic, green belt, resident amenities, lack of consultation, dust and noise.
These worries were echoed by Sutton parish council and Peter Yates, a former head of planning and Celia Davis, chairwoman of Lyme Green Settlement.
Planning officers argued green belt policy could be over-ridden in suitable cases. Highways officer Neil Jones said concerns for increased traffic on London Road were unsubstantiated as fewer vehicles would be used.
Waste and recycling manager Ray Skipp missed the meeting due to a ‘timing mix-up’. But councillors queried why the current waste site at Henshaws Skip Hire on the Moss or the Dane Moss tip site could not be used. Officers said they were unsuitable or unavailable.
The application was deferred with councillors requesting more information. Residents said they were disappointed the application wasn’t rejected – but vowed to fight on.
A Cheshire East spokesman said later that the facility for temporary storage of material was vital for waste management in the northern half of Cheshire East. He said it was a council depot for decades and that, while it is green belt land, it’s a brownfield site already in use.
"A planning application has been made in the normal way. It is not unusual to clear ground in advance of development taking place.These works proved more extensive than envisaged, for which we apologised. The instruction was immediately issued to cease."
Mr Nicholson said later: "I accept responsibility for overseeing work undertaken by my team. At all stages I sought to ensure that this project proceeded on the firm understating that all necessary approvals would be in place as the project progressed."
