Town Centre Battle Lost

Battle Lost

Arguments Against the scheme

Last night we experienced the grim spectacle of a Labour controlled council rubber-stamping the planning application of Capital and Regional in the face of the overwhelming opposition of their own electorate. According to their own analysis their consultation had resulted in a response of a petition of 2,017 people and almost 1,000 individual letters opposing the application and 79 letters in favour. At the meeting itself, of the 12 speakers (apparently selected from 19 who applied) only two spoke in support of the motion. It was sickening to see small businesses' and market traders' interests best represented by the Tories while the interests of big business were enthusiastically championed by the Labour Party.

It's pretty obvious that the outcome of the meeting, which was attended by about 500 people in the Assembly Hall, had been pre-decided. Here is a quote from a letter:

Hi All,
Check this out - just went to the Council website and guess what, there was already a lengthy article saying that the application had been approved! 

LBWF

They can only have written this beforehand. So this meeting we just went to was all for show. Looks like the fix was in.
Depressing innit?

He includes screenshots proving that the article was on the Council website before midnight last night. Pretty quick indeed.

Having been part of this game for 40 years this is the first time I have known the council to be so well prepared. The correct size venue, properly working PA and screens, all the appropriate officers present, pre-researched questions in advance asked by Councillors - it was a total and utter stitch up. Congratulations to Cllr Coghill to kick backsides and get officers to prepare properly. Sad to say the Labour councillors did not play their role which is to be independent and make their decision based on the facts rather than party policy. Two had to be replaced to make sure they got the result Cllr Coghill wanted.  Cllr Pye replaced by Cllr. Emmerson and Cllr Terry by Cllr Douglas.

I naively hoped that the Labout Cllrs would have suggested reducing the height of the blocks but clearly the financial equation relies on building this high!

As to the council's web site that is amazing - clearly the decision was made months ago and they have just been making sure all the bits of the jigsaw are in place to ensure they get their way.

If they are that well organised they will get the trees chopped down over Christmas while no one is looking (that is what happened in Lloyd Park with the argument the winter is the best time to fell them!).

The Section 106 has to be signed by March so that may well be brought forward assuming C&R are as well organised as the council.

We need to create a backlash and encourage shoppers to boycott the Mall. If we can get the takings down C&R may think again. Remember although they have planning permission the Finance Director still has the last say as to whether this is the right time to start the construction. If they do nothing for 3 years the planning permission will lapse.

We need to thoroughly study the Design Code they we going on about last night and vigorously ensure the full planning permission, whenever they apply for it, for the Tower Blocks stick to the rules. That might make them too expensive. The Grenfell factor also needs to be exploited. Again this is an opportunity to turn the public against the councillors.

Whip up a backlash by the public to such an extent the councillors in High Street Ward are defeated at the election.