Councillors have once again expressed their fury at United Utilities for carrying out building work in Knowsley without planning permission.
At Thursday night’s planning committee meeting, one councillor described the company’s behaviour as “like shooting someone” and said it should be apologising “in sackcloth and ashes”.
The comments came as Knowsley Council’s planning committee discussed two retrospective applications from United Utilities for work it had already carried out at facilities in Pex Hill Country Park and Water Lane.
United Utilities has made frequent use of retrospective applications for work in Knowsley, incurring the wrath of members of the planning committee.
The company has even previously apologised for using retrospective applications after the committee wrote to it to complain.
But at Thursday’s meeting Cllr Ken McGlashen was not impressed with United Utilities’ apology.
He said: “It’s exactly the same as before. They started off without permission and they are carrying on without permission.
“It’s like saying I shot you, I only wounded you, so it’s OK now.
“For the size of a company like this, they should be coming with sackcloth and ashes.”
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He was backed up by Cllr Harry Bell, who said: “It happened in the past, will it happen in the future? We need to tell these people that they can’t just walk in and do it.”
But head of planning Mark Cawood could only say he understood the councillors’ “frustration”.
Mr Cawood said: “Unfortunately, the planning system does allow for that.
“We have to work with the system we have in front of us.”
Both applications, for minor works at a booster station and a water treatment site, were approved unanimously.
