Wirral Council said it regrets a "failure" over a planning decision in connection with CCTV cameras at a car park.
The mistake was made by council officers who approved adverts linked to controversial CCTV cameras that have wrongly fined at least 2,000 people at the Cherry Tree Shopping centre car park in Liscard.
The cameras, operated by Smart Parking, have been accused of "preying on people's misery" and remain incredibly controversial. Smart Parking had applied for planning permission to keep the cameras but this was rejected by councillors in October.
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The adverts were supposed to be considered at the planning committee along with the cameras but an accident occurred after a new member of staff ticked the wrong box, according to the council.
Approving the investigation report into the issue, Cllr Stuart Kelly said: “The committee regrets the process failure outlined in the report, noted the circumstances that led to this issue and endorses the changes to internal council procedure.”
Councillors were also told Smart Parking had not yet submitted an appeal to an enforcement notice to remove the cameras in April but had appealed the planning application.
During the meeting, members also gave the green light for a bungalow to get a "huge" extension despite community concerns. The property on Bracken Drive in Newton near West Kirby was up for consideration due to objections from neighbours.
These were over loss of light, overlooking into people’s gardens as well as the proposal being out of keeping with the character of the area. In an officer’s report ahead of the meeting, Wirral Council recommended to councillors to approve the application.
The application said: “The proposal is not considered to have an adverse impact on the amenities which the occupiers of the neighbouring properties can reasonably expect to enjoy in terms of loss of light, privacy, outlook or being overdominant.
“The proposed development is not considered detrimental to the character of the host dwelling and the wider street scene. The proposal is acceptable in terms of scale and design.”
One neighbour, speaking on behalf of those who had petitioned against the development, said: “We are saying that this property is going to be huge. It’s going to stand above everybody else’s property. It’s going to shadow the last three houses that are there and it’s going to take away their sunlight in the evening.”
Concerns were also raised about the bungalow affecting the “peace and quietness” of neighbours as well as disability issues. Ashley Moran, speaking on behalf of the applicant said the proposal “will be in keeping with the current street scene” and was the only bungalow on the drive adding: “We feel at present the bungalow is the odd one out on the road.”
He said changes had been made to the application, such as lowering the angle of the roof to make sure it was “not overbearing on our neighbours.”
Stuart Kelly, chair of the committee, said: “The harm needs to be demonstrable and significant for us to refuse the application.” Councillors voted the application through unanimously.
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