Residents of a Buckinghamshire town have blasted their local council for not properly calling in a controversial application for planning permission, with one branding the situation “appalling”.

Last month, permission was granted for the replacement of the existing semi-detached house at 49 Marsham Way in Gerrards Cross, following the demolition of 49 Marsham Way, which will turn 10 Marsham Lane into a detached house.

The decision on application PL/23/2708/FA came despite Gerrards Cross Town Council noting its objection to the application at the September 18 meeting of its Planning Committee.

During the meeting, councillors requested that application PL/23/2708/FA be called into Buckinghamshire Council’s own Planning Committee “on the grounds that it is not in keeping with the conservation area” and will be “overdeveloped and unsightly”.

However, it appears that the council’s request to call in the application, and to send a councillor to a meeting to state its opposition to the plans, was not properly followed up.

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When objections are raised over a planning application, individual councillors or a parish council can ‘call it in’ to Buckinghamshire Council’s Planning Committee.

This defers a decision on the application to Buckinghamshire unitary councillors, who consider its merits, current legislation and policies, as well as a planning officer’s report.

Residents have attacked the “clerical error” which meant the application for 49 Marsham Way was not called in properly.

They say they have been let down by Gerrards Cross Town Council, which was plunged into chaos in September by the mass resignation of six of its councillors, including then-Mayor Andrew Wood.

One neighbour told the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “They are marking their own homework.

“What is happening is that [Council Chairman] Brian [Peck] has refused to apologise for the cock-up. It is completely wrong, they have completely cocked this up, conveniently, as far as I’m concerned. It is appalling.”

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The anonymous resident claimed that the failure of Gerrards Cross councillors to call in the planning application for 49 Marsham Way was symptomatic of wider issues at the local council.

They added: “On the Town Council there are only six of them and two of them are property developers. It stinks to be honest. They are running it as if it is an old boys club. They all know each other. It is rotten.”

A group of residents who live near 49 Marsham Way are expected to call on the council to apologise for not properly calling in the application during tonight’s Planning Committee at South Lodge, East Common, Gerrards Cross (7pm, November 20).

They are expected to condemn the “gross oversight” by the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Cllr Jaspal Chhokar.

In another new development for 49 Marsham Way, the applicant has since submitted a new application for the same property for permission to enlarge the design of the garage, which would be a variation of condition 14 of the approved plans.

The applicant behind the change of use is RW49 Marsham Way Ltd, a company that shares a director – Toby Stuart Cove – and address – 22 Wycombe End, Beaconsfield – with Rosewood Luxury Developments Ltd.

The majority of shares in Rosewood Luxury Developments Ltd are held by Rosewood Holdings & Investments Limited, whose directors are Toby Stuart Cove and Scarlett Vincent-Cove.

Gerrards Cross Town Council told the LDRS that it had already apologised to residents in a statement, which read: "We apologise for this oversight and will be happy to answer any further questions you may have."

The council also acknowledged that the six remaining councillors have had an increased workload in recent months due to the departure of six of their colleagues.

Its statement to residents read: "We had submitted our comments on the Planning Portal objecting to the application on the grounds that it is not in keeping with the Conservation area, will be overdeveloped and unsightly, and regret the loss of trees.

"We also emailed the Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire County Council with a request that we wished to call in this application.

"The Planning Officer subsequently sent an email requesting an undertaking that we would attend the Planning Committee meeting.

"The email was forwarded to the Chairman of Planning who confirmed that someone would attend.

"Unfortunately, it seems that in this instance the undertaking was not sent to the Planning Officer, and therefore, in consultation with the Chairman of the (South Buckinghamshire) Planning Committee it was determined that the application will be determined under delegated powers."