We finally got an answer to our query about information the Borough Council is passing on to commercial organisations regarding an extension to the planning permission already granted. It doesn't tell us very much, however.
Development Control Manager, John Holmes, states that potential applicants must be allowed to speak freely and frankly with officers without being concerned about the details being made known to the public. As such, SBC contends that the information in question is exempt from disclosure under section 41 of the Act. We find this a little puzzling since it is the "potential applicants" themselves (Daniel & Hulme) who are making the disclosure known and using it in their advertising material!
Our other point, concerning why SBC is giving out signals that planning permission may be widened in the face of strong opposition from the local community, remains unanswered.
Maybe the time has come to involve our Borough Councillors again ...? What say you?
Sunday 12 June 2011
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Again the open and transparent local government seems to be something of a myth.Seemingly it is OK for developers to discuss and deal with council employees behind closed doors without the community/electorate being able to become involved.Not my idea of what local government should be doing.
ReplyDeleteThe question posed is is it time to involve the Borough councillors again ?.........Well from our experience here it hasn`t been successful before so (unfortunately) why would we expect it to be different this time ? We had parish,borough (not Harp),county and MP support for the campaign which was totally ignored by the planning committee,why would it be different this time ?
I see from the excellent voiceofroughclose site that our elected members are Dodson,Holmes and Roycroft (all Tory) and I seem to recall from this blog that Roycroft was supportive to the cause.I presume that Holmes is the new boy but am unsure whether Dodson has had any prior involvement.
I admit that I voted for what looked to be a most impressive CV`ed Labour candidate with significant political experience and qualifications rather than the Tory candidates who happen to have a bit of spare time to pursue their own agendas like Harp.
If the community is to again take up the matter through the borough councillors I think that the question that we are posing to them needs to be consistent from us all as I am a little unsure what we are asking of them.If Holmes is the new boy (and not waiting for a nice new house in Rough Close) it may be considered a worthy strategy to attempt to get him to take up an active supporting stance on the G&D,counter to the active opposite stance from Harp.
Suggestion.......We evolve a specific question/challenge on what is going on at the G&D and at the SBC Fawlty Towers and ask members of the community to lobby on their behalf to Holmes?
I hate to be defeatist but haven`t we given up on anything sensitive to our views coming from this dreadful organisation though ?