A conservation watchdog has threatened to disband over claims its views are being ignored by Haringey Council.

Hornsey Conservation Areas Advisory Committee (CAAC) has already suspended its activities.

One member, an architect specialising in conservation work, has resigned with the rest of the board vowing to follow unless a proper working relationship with the authority is formed.

The row follows the granting of planning permission to Sainsburys for a new superstore on the former Hornsey Waterworks site.

Hornsey CAAC was set up to oversee planning issues in Haringeys conservation areas in line with government regulations.

But in an open letter to leading councillors, Hornsey CAAC chairman Peter Sanders said: At no stage during the process of this application was there any consultation with CAAC.

Mr Sanders also believed council conservation officers used outside consultants instead of Hornsey CAAC a claim strongly denied by the authority.

His letter went on: Very little consideration was given to conservation issues and the scheme pays scant regard to the councils own justification for the creation in 1994 of the Hornsey Waterworks and Filterbeds Conservation Area as an extension to the High Street Conservation Area.

No mention is made of Hornsey CAAC in the officers report to the planning sub-committee on the Sainsburys application, despite having submitted a detailed appraisal of the proposal jointly with the Alexandra Park and Palace CAAC.

Hornsey Information Planning Exchange (HIPE) was formed by residents in a bid to have the original plans rejected in favour of a smaller scheme.

Spokesman Chris Warburton said: It seems to me that the views of CAAC are treated in the same way as any other objectors or commentators on a planning application.

This says quite a lot about the planning policy in Haringey if nothing else.

Haringey Council said although there were no legal requirements it valued Hornsey CAAC, one of six in the borough, and wanted it to carry on.

A spokeswoman said: We do take consultation very seriously indeed and consult more than the average authority.

We produced a planning brief which was subject to public consultation and sent many thousands of letters to local traders and residents.

We went through one of the most elaborate consultations ever undertaken by this council. A lot of effort is put into maximum consultation.

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