‘Poorly served’ Seer Green villagers have slammed the district council for approving early plans to turn a well-loved community Post Office into housing.

Earlier this month plans to change the use of the newsagent’s and Post Office in Chalfont Road – owned by Chiltern District Councillor (CDC) for Seer Green, Siddharth Patel – to housing were given the nod by the council’s planning committee.

Now Seer Green Parish Council has said it is “extremely disappointed” by the decision, adding the shop had “every chance” of reopening successfully.

Concerns have also been raised by campaigners that planning laws were “exploited” by the district councillor due to the nature of the ‘prior approval’ application.

Prior approval is planning permission granted by government, which allows certain work and changes of building use to be carried out without having to make a planning application.

A statement issued by Seer Green Parish Council said: “Seer Green Parish Council vigorously opposed the loss of a much-used shop in the interests of the community we serve.

“We firmly believe that the retail shop and Post Office had every chance of reopening successfully and regret that this now cannot happen.

“We hope that the use of prior approval does not now become widespread and that other rural communities do not suffer the same loss as Seer Green”.

The plans received almost 200 objections from concerned residents who hoped a business would continue operating at the site.

Fliss Coombs, who passionately campaigned against the closure of the Post Office, said: “The villagers of Seer Green have been poorly served by Chiltern District Council over this sad and sorry affair, all the more so as the applicant is our own district councillor.

“There is a strong feeling in the village that the intricacies of planning law have been exploited by our own elected representative to gain approval for change of use at the expense of the village, and that Chiltern District Council have seen fit to approve the loss of our busy shop and Post Office which has been supported by the village for 80 years.”

A spokesman for CDC said Cllr Patel “has the same right” to submit a planning application as any other resident, adding if certain conditions were not met, then the proposal would have be refused.

Spokesman, Connie Primmer said: “The certain conditions relating to this particular development which it was deemed had been met were – size, no highways objections, no contamination, no flooding risk and adequate shopping/retail still being available in the village.

“The planning officer’s report was clear in asking the planning committee to decide whether approval should be given subject to conditions. If the conditions had not been met then the application would have been refused.”

Cllr Patel has been contacted for a comment, however did not respond before going to print.