DUMPTON PARK DRIVE - WHERE TO NEXT?

I hope that I have managed to precis what has been a complicated tale for readers but the question that now needs to be asked is where to next?
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Cllrs at Full Council on 23 April made it clear that they did not really want to consider the item but we still await the next move by TDC. Do they intend to accept that their grubby, cheap attempt to put a house on this land when having no freehold to offer a developer, has incurred waste of tax-payers money, Councillor's time and resident's not inconsiderable expense? Or could it just be possible that they carry on digging deeper into the hole they are in? I have heard a rumour that G. Day were the builders/developers who placed the present fence in the wrong position in the first place that has included land TDC has no title to freehold for. Was Cllr Day, who has been a keen supporter of this project on Planning, aware of this? What developers are showing interest in this scheme? Would TDC care to name them?
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I believe it is long overdue for TDC to comply with its own Cabinet directive of August 2008 and go back to the Ward Cllr and residents and re-commence discussions to dispose of the land as gardens to residents, which is where the saga began in 2007! The serious issue of what poor and incorrect advice was given to Cllrs by Officers and why, is up to Cllrs to ponder and then to perhaps act on?
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One has to ask the question whether Cllr Latchford and Mr White are prepared to admit that they got this issue wrong and apologise to all concerned? It seems to me that this is the only way, tax-payers are going to benefit from an asset disposal of this nature. There is a real danger that TDC might find itself owning scrub-land that is worth something as gardens but could be of little value at all, if it transpires that access to it is not possible!
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Whilst it is the duty of TDC to maximise the return for tax-payers on asset disposal, in this matter it seems to have not acted in the tax-payer's interests or considered the interests of the residents in Dumpton Park Drive.
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This saga would seem to have further to run yet. In the meantime, I intend to go along to support a Summer Fete organised by the residents, on Saturday 11 July on their 'village green'. I wonder if there will be a coconut shy with pictures of various well known faces glued to coconuts?

THE EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OT TDC IN DUMPTON PARK DRIVE- PART 3

Despite the Cabinet decision of 7 Aug 2008 (regarding asset disposal) that required the Ward Cllrs and residents to be consulted about purchase for gardens it would seem that Mr Brian White and The Deputy Leader (Cllr Latchford) decided to pursue another course!
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Presumably they had plans drawn up by an architect and then got an officer to make an application on behalf of TDC . What we can only speculate on is what pressure was then put on the Planning Officers to come up with a case that would then be a justification to allow this application to go ahead. Well Emma Fibbens, obliged, with or without the influence of her Deputy Leader or her 'boss', Mr Brian White, to put a 'defer to full Council for approval' case to Planning Committee on Wed 18th February this year. There were some difficult issues she had to side-step in regard to TDC's own declared Policies.
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The first was the fact that development of the site completely ignored Policy SR 10 and Policy SR 11 (concerning no devlopment on public and private open space) so she made no mention of these! The other policy that had to be got round was of course Policy H1! This states quite clearly:
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"residential development on non-allocated sites will be permitted only on PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LAND (my capitals) within existing built up confines."
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Well this land does not fall into that category but Emma Fibbens, gets round the problem by admitting that this development is contrary to policy but that " a departure from this policy can only be considered IF THERE IS A FAVOURABLE JUSTIFICATION THAT OUTWEIGHS THE NEED TO COMPLY WITH POLICY H1 (my capitals)".
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Now, forgive me for being cynical, but the only justification would appear to be the fact that this application is TDC's own application! I will not bore you with the further waffle in the officer's report to try and justify this application on the grounds that it enhances the street scene when it clearly does not!. (See picture below of present street scene.) but this quote is too good to leave out:
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"On balance it is considered that the space offers no intrinsic value to the street scene and therefore the development of the site and the completion of the street scene WOULD RESULT IN THE GREATEST ENHANCEMENT (my capitals). How this can be argued by an independent minded Planning Officer baffles me. But of course, that may not have been the case.
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Well, Planning Committtee did its stuff and referred the application to Full Council. Here is the extract of the minutes that show Cllr Day ( a developer) proposing:
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"Moved by Councillor Day and seconded by Councillor Ward that:
“the application F/TH/08/1394 be referred to Council with recommendation to
approve......."
Between February and Full Council of 23 April this year, there was a veritable flurry of activity; residents pursued legal options; lobbied their MP, Dr Steve Ladyman; lobbied Councillors and lodged an application with KCC to designate the land as common land as a 'village green'. It would appear that Mr Brian White and Cllr Latchford were, to put it simply, one tracked on this issue and forged ahead despite reasonable arguments put to them that this whole nonsense was a waste of time. One does wonder why that should have been?
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I digress. The report to Cllrs for the Full Council in April used the same specious argument used to convince the Planning Committtee in February:
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" the open space the site provides offers no intrinsic value to the street scene and therefore the development of the site and the completion of the street scene would result in the GREATEST ENHANCEMENT (my capitals)!"
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There was no mention that TDC had no freehold to the site other than the 'garden space' and that there was a priority application at KCC (which needs to be resolved first) under The Commons Act 2006 in regard to the planned location of the house itself! The Full Council was further grossly misled in writing in the Brief to Councillors and at the start of the consideration of Agenda Item 19 by the newly appointed Monitoring Officer. It is important to grasp what our Cllrs were told in writing by Head of Regeneration Services (Mr Brian White) and verbally by TDC's own Monitoring Officer:
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4.1.1. A refusal of planning permission may result in the submission of an appeal, which may incur financial costs should external assistance be required in preparing and presenting the Council's case. Furthermore, Members are advised that, should the appeal be in the form of a hearing or Public Inquiry, and if the appellant applies for costs, there is a risk that an awarded (sic) could be made against the Council.
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4.2.1. A decision to refuse planning permission may result in an appeal and the need for legal assistance in response. Should the appeal be in the form of a Public Inquiry, it may be necessary to appoint external assistance.
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If you have not grasped what utter tosh this is, let me explain! We have Mr Brian White and the Monitoring officer telling OUR Councillors that TDC could end up paying a great deal of tax-payers money fighting an appeal by TDC (the applicant) against TDC (the LPA)! One could not invent this tale if one tried!
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The Full Council Meeting in April descended into farce as this item was examined. It was quite clear that many of our Councillors were not happy! Cllr Hayton ( a respected Chair of Planning at TDC for 20 years until sacked by Ezekiel last year) stated:
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" The idea that we are attempting to give planning permission to ourselves here when ownership is not absolute is extremely dubious. I don't like it and will not support it."
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When it was apparent that most of our Councillors wanted nothing to do with this application and were likely to turn it down, sycophantic members lept to their feet to state "move, we move on to next business" and "seconded!" After a second carefully counted vote, this motion was carried and Council moved on!
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No wonder (see Part 2) a rep from a major chain said afterwards, " I've never seen anything like what I just witnessed in there... pandemonium and fiasco I'd say....and if I was you I'd check up on whether there weren't proceedural irregularities there."
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I am beginning to think that this whole business is a disgrace that brings our Council into disrepute and makes us as much of a laughing stock as the antics of our Leader and his 'f***ing t***er' incident in 2007 or the description of his Deputy Leader, Cllr Latchford in The Edinburgh Woollen Mill in 2008, 'leaping like a salmon to grab the petititon'! The difference here,of course, is that senior officers and other officers that our Councillors rely on for professional advice are also involved in the farce and this is perhaps a more worrying issue?

THE EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF TDC IN DUMPTON PARK DRIVE - PART 2

In Part 1, I outlined how a 'disposal' involving residents at Dumpton Park suddenly became an application by TDC to TDC, to 'shoe-horn' a house between 132 and 134 Dumpton Park Drive.
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In February this year (prior to TDC Planning Committee meeting on Wed 18 February) , Albion Fencing arrived to fence off the open ground between the houses and residents took it down. This eventually led to a stand-off with TDC Officer Paul Verrall threatening to have residents arrested. Albion Fencing and TDC were required to retire, not gracefully, when the details of the Land Registry pronouncements were drawn to their attention! If you look at the picture above, TDC's land is marked in yellow and blue; the blue denotes a restrictive covenant preventing building taking place on the blue land (hence the alteration to F/TH/08/1394!). The plan below shows the Land Registry findings quite clearly!

The land marked purple is declared as 'Open Land' and Land Registry have denied TDC's 'land grab' through 'adverse posession' for it. The land marked green has been offered to TDC by Land Registry under possessory title due to unchallenged wrongful positioning of a fence. However, TDC cannot claim freehold until 2021! My understanding is that the fence was not erected by TDC but by a person who kept horses here some time ago, without consent from anyone!

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The first picture below shows the land denied to TDC that has now become the subject of a village green application with KCC by the local residents. The fence, not built by TDC, does not demarcate TDC's land correctly but that did not stop TDC putting up a sign a little while ago, claiming it as theirs. I wonder what the position in law would be if residents decided to re-position the fence correctly?

In Part 3, the hilarious and risible proceedings by TDC Planning Officers, Planning Committtee and finally Full Council in this matter will be covered. Just to whet your appetite, here is a quote from a representative of a major chain of retailers with an application approved on 23 April 2009 talking to residents as they left the TDC Council Chamber:

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"I am the legal representative of ***" she said, "I spend my working life in council chambers all over the country on planning applications and I can tell you...I've never seen anything like what I have just witnessed in there..... "

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The farce that this whole issue has become, gets even more interesting. You must bear in mind though that for the residents in Dumpton Park Drive, this is no laughing matter as they fight their own elected Council who are behaving like some grubby property speculator and they have already incurred £10,000 + legal expenses to fight this issue. No return by TDC to the minuted Cabinet Meeting instruction of 8 Aug 2008 to 'consult with those residents who may wish to extend their gardens'. Why is that?

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Instead TDC is till pushing its own Planning Application to itself, to put a house on land they have no claim to in law; on land they have no freehold on until 2021 and only if their cliam is not disputed! One has to wonder what is the motivation behind this? Who is to benefit? Is this really in the Council Tax payer's interest?

THE EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF TDC IN DUMPTON PARK DRIVE - PART 1

This tale is going to take some time to tell and readers will have to persevere with me. It will I hope reveal some extraordinary activities by TDC that are clearly not in the public interest; may be the subject of a Local Government Ombudsman report and has, I would argue, already cost TDC a great deal of money and effort that has been totally unnecessary and may cost a great deal more yet.
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In the picture above ( from Virtual Earth/Bing) you will note a gap between 132 and 134 Dumpton Park Drive with a patch of overgrown shrubland between the small rear gardens and the railway line. It would appear to have been left as an access to the railway and a nearby bricked up tunnel that ran down to Ramsgate Harbour.
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Through-out 2007, local residents became so fed up with 'agents' for developers knocking on doors and asking ' who owns this land?' or putting up signs on an old wooden fence saying 'private property', that they decided to approach Land Registry and find out. Part of it turned out to be registered with The Mayor and Burgesses of Ramsgate Council (now TDC). (Should it now revert to ownership by Ramsgate Town Council?)
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Residents drew the attention of TDC to the fact that it owned most of this plot ( a fact that they seemed unaware of at the time) and in 2007 made an offer to TDC to purchase it at market value to extend their gardens. This seemed a sensible step. TDC would be able to dispose of an asset that has been derelict for almost 50 years and get a return for the Council tax-payer and residents could benefit with enlarged gardens that had been truncated for a purpose that was no longer relevant i.e. access to the railway tunnel and track. This matter then rested with TDC saying 'we will get back to you' but never did!
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Instead this land appeared on TDC's Assets Disposal Register in the summer of 2008 as Item 10 and at Cabinet on 7 August 2008 it was agreed that the land was surplus subject to:
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1. Detailed discussion with Network Rail.
2. Consultation with ward Cllr and those residents who may wish to extend their gardens.
3. A Land contamination survey.
4. Final decision left to HOS (Mr Brian White) and Deputy Leader (Cllr Latchford)..
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Now a reasonable person would assume that TDC would now go back to residents and negotiate a price with them or at least raise it with them. This did not happen!
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Instead TDC, on 27th November lodged its own Planning Application with itself to build a detached garage to the rear and in the gap place a 4 bed-roomed detached house. ( At this stage you may wish to go to UK Planning and look at F/TH/08/1394 or try www.ukplanning.com/ukp/findCaseFile.do?appNumber=F%2FTH%2F08%2F1394&action=Search .
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Although TDC is perfectly in its rights to apply for consent from itself, you might be forgiven for asking why, given the Cabinet Minutes above of 3 months previously?
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There were some problems however for TDC in its attempts to 'shoe-horn' a house into this narrow gap. The first was a restrictive covenant on building and the second was ownership of land. More about that later in Part 2.
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Below, I have shown you what the 'revised' plan from TDC became by the time the application came before Planning Committtee on 18th February 2009! You might note how close it is placed beside 132 Dumpton Park Drive and its balcony and rear extensions ie. it is right up against the boundary. When you read what a 'professional' TDC Planning Officer advised TDC Cllrs, please bear this in mind! (click on the pic below for more detail).

TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT?

As rubbish and neglect seems topical at the moment, I must thank another regular reader for these two pictures. The contrasting causes for the problems are perhaps piquant!
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TDC clearly falling down on the dog pooh problem in St Peter's Recreation Ground led to this unsavoury pile of deposits steaming in the summer sun-shine yesterday morning. (I am told this has now been rectified.)
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The litter in Hawley Square last night cannot be blamed on our hard-pressed TDC teams. This is entirely the responsibility of the scroat who dropped it, despite being within spitting distance of the bin across the road!

Perhaps we should all try and do better?
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It might help if TDC monitored better their little lorries scurrying about the towns behind street cleaners etc . On Monday morning a private residence with the ground floor flat being revamped, had one of their lorries pull up and amidst merriment and real urgency, the decorator and TDC chaps loaded up debris into the lorry that had been piled in the front garden. It did not seem an official activity and I am suspicious that it was not. Mentioning this to one or two contacts revealed that 'moon-lighting' work of this nature for a few quid to a Council mate is a well know feature in Thanet and not only during the week but at week-ends.
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Perhaps we should take a lesson from pupils from Holy Trinity & St Johns Primary school who were out in force this morning in yellow jackets and with TDC waste bags cleaning up litter in Dane Park? My first thought was that TDC must be desperate if they have now got children doing the work, as the full bags indicated the sorry prior state of the Park. Then I thought that as an 'eco' school it was a sensible activity for pupils but surely as a 'voluntary' activity after school?
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Is it unreasonable to expect children to be taught at school during school hours and not picking up litter in our local park in such quantities that would indicate TDC is not on top of the problem?

COUNCILS LIKE COBBLERS SHOULD STICK TO THEIR LAST

A regular reader has sent me this picture and one below of wild meadows growing around Broadstairs where neatly mowed verges should be. If you visit ECR (www.eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com) you will see a recent picture of unsavoury matter floating in Ramsgate Harbour and plenty of pictures of rubbish and closed public toilets.
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We seem to have a problem with TDC and KCC as both councils seem to ignore and neglect the traditional functions of Councils whilst embarking on projects they should not be involved with.
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Frankly, I am not interested whether Cllr Latchford is happy that 90,000 people visited Palm Bay this weekend because my view is that TDC should not be involved in this sort of nonsense. I am reminded of KCC and its costly TV station.
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Both councils waste money on such projects whilst streets go unswept, uncut and become pot-holed; our toilets are rundown and then closed; our country roads, back-alleys and harbours accumulate rubbish and heaven knows what else; our road drains are silted and grow weeds; pollution incidents are not monitored properly and rectified and our underground aquifer is in state 'red' and we are likely to lose it.

The picture below shows two examples of how inept our Councils have become. The infilling and tarmac laying by KCC after replacing a lamp-post has left an 8 inch depression and the first visitation by a street cleaner in 9 months has led to two bags of rubbish left behind for 8 days now. This is inept supervision and poor management that other councils in the land do better.

Is the fact that KCC Highways reorganised and their out-station with TDC first moved to Canterbury and then Ashford responsible for this neglect in Thanet? I am reliably informed that this re-organistaion has cost in the region of £30,000,000 gross and that the previous Head of Highways has been quietly moved sideways.

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The dirty dilapidated condition of our streets, harbours, toilets and drains not only puts off visitors but encourages the anti-social to not care either, so exacerbating the situation with more littering, fly-tipping, graffiti and vandalism. So Cllr Latchford and TDC, instead of organising a Big Event, ineptly according to some, get on and look to the basics please and get KCC to look after its responsibilities in Thanet too.

UPSET IN ST PETER'S?

It is with pride that we should celebrate the fact that Her Majesty has commanded Her Lord Lieutenant for Kent to go along to St Peter's on the 2nd July to present on her behalf, The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service to the stalwarts behind that major tourist attracting project, St Peter's Village Tour.
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There is however a small snag. Her Majesty's representative is likely to find roads blocked off as the revisit to the gas-mains work will be in full progress. The pictures below show holes opened up and ready and even some modern technology of a plank of wood in place! One has to ask, why wasn't the job done properly in the spring after so much disruption to local businesses and massive inconvenience to the public?

Sources tell me that the start of road closures and some serious work has been delayed at the request of TDC for a Dickens to Turner walk!

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So in the nicest possible way, b*gger Her Majesty's instructions to Her Lord Lieutenant in regard to a presentation on Her behalf, but TDC can delay the work without considering the events of 2nd July in St Peter's for some arty farty Turner Contemporary promotion?

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I hope some KCC and TDC Councillors will look into this matter and clarify if the Lord Lieutenant can carry out Her Majesty's wishes on the 2nd July without having to pick his way past gas mains work that should have been done properly in the first place.

ECR's IDENTITY REVEALED

Earlier this evening I was sent the details in the picture above and I am now pleased to reveal a recent picture of a well known Eastcliff Resident known as ECR together with his address, telephone number, bank account, outstanding Harrod's bills and computer IPS details, for those who might be interested in tracking this elusive blogger down.
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Despite the fact that the scan above looks as redacted as a typical MP's accounts revealed today, and tells Bertie very little, readers may wish to try and click on it or subject it to manipulation to reveal what is hidden there.

WHAT NOW FOR 1 GRANVILLE MARINA?

I have been informed this morning that TDC's Planning Committee gave a 'REFUSED' decision last night in respect of I Granville Marina and Application L/TH/09/0052.

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I do not know any details yet and await with interest the next steps to be taken by TDC or the developers. The value of this development site will rise should the Pleasurama (Royal Sands) project ever get off the ground and perhaps we might see an appeal process begin. I would prefer to see TDC take a tough stand on restoration to its previous state as outlined by its Deputy Leader last year. Cllr Latchford said:
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"The council is utterly determined to ensure that this building is re-built in its previous form and, to this end, we have already served notices on the owner of the property. One requires emergency works to be carried out immediately and, if this is not done, the Council will undertake the work in default. The other notice requires the property to be put back in its original state. This will mean that the owner will have to submit detailed information on how they will achieve this requirement."
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We will have to wait and see.

ETERNAL OPTIMISM AT IOTG/TT?

As some readers will know, I have taken a very sceptical view of the Euroferries idea of a service out of Ramsgate using Fred Olsen's Bonanza Express. It has been laid up in Las Palmas harbour since running aground in Dec 2008; the crew laid off and despite pictures released in March of it painted in Euroferries livery and a promise to start in late March, this boat is still sitting moored against the harbour wall in Las Palmas.
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I do not know why our Thanet South MP hypes this story and the Thanet Times goes along with it. As we approach the summer school holidays and peak cross-channel season for cars and passengers, Euroferries little saga sounds so reminiscent of its previous attempts for a similar ferry at Dover, that certainly de-chuffed a Mayor in the USA, and came to nothing.
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I am all for a return to a serious ferry operator running out of Ramsgate but Euroferries just doesn't fit this description. Even if it does get a scheme together, it will have missed the boat for this summer's boom travel period.
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We should all just calm down, take a big pinch of salt before providing free promotion for odd companies, and await some hard news. That hard news will be when the Bonanza Express actually moves up the Channel and is sitting in either Boulogne or Ramsgate!

CAN COUNCILLORS TRUST WHAT THEY ARE TOLD ANYMORE BY OFFICERS?

It would appear that TDC Planning Officers (with a little help and guidance from Asset Managers and even the Director himself perhaps?) can look in two directions in regard to the same planning application like the Roman God Janus (shown in the pic above.)
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If you haven't twigged what I am on about yet, yes, its back to 1 Granville Marina and application F/TH/09/0052. My thanks to a regular reader for drawing my attention to the brief in the agenda sent to Planning Members and included in TDC's Agenda minutes on its own web-site.
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If you click on the details below you will see that TDC's Case Planning Officer, Luke Blaskett, recommended for The Planning Committtee to be held on Wed 20th May 2009 that Councillors 'REFUSE' the application and cites it being contrary to Thanet Local Plan Policy HE1 and Medway Structure Plan Policy QL10.

Yet, in a matter of less than 10 working days, the very same Case Planning Officer now recommends Councillors 'APPROVE' the unchanged application at their meeting this Wednesday, 17th June. ( I am assuming that Planning Members received their brief in TDC's mail of Monday 8th June.) What is really good is that he now cites Kent and Medway Structure Plan Policy QL10 as the reason why he says 'approve'. (No mention of Thanet Local Plan Policy HE1 this time round). He also reveals that he has received advice from TDC's Assets Manager (Justin Thomson) who presumably has as his superior, Mr Brian White.
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It was interesting that this application was 'pulled' at short notice in May and not dealt with by the Planning Committtee and here it is back again with an 180 degree 'u-turn' by a professional planning officer the following month.
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This whole business starts to look decidely odd and even 'fishy'.
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We have a developer who demolished a Grade 2 listed building without consent ( a criminal offence); a lack of prosecution by TDC; a lack of enforcement by TDC ; a sudden change of recommendation by a professional Planning Officer quoting a Kent and Medway policy ( remember that TDC Policy should govern its actions as it is an LPA in its own right) as his 'authority' for him to make two diametrically opposed recommendations in less than a fortnight! What he fails to draw members attention to is the simple fact that this Kent and Medway Policy was written to assist owners of Grade 2 listed buildings to improve and maintain such a property; not to assist an owner who has without LPA consent reduced two-thirds of it to a pile of rubble!
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One is left with the conclusion that TDC either is acting with gross incompetence here or that dealings with developers and meetings that our Councillors know nothing about have been taking place with TDC and junior staff are being required to jump in an entirely different direction as a result. It starts to raise serious questions about the integrity and impartiality of the whole planning process at TDC.
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For me, this is the most worrying aspect of this whole application. If we cannot trust the utter impartiality of our planning process, where are we to turn? The law enables TDC to both prosecute the owner for this demolition and insist he reinstate the property or take it off his hands. The cynical demolition of this property ocurred 7 months before the recession we are now in began and property prices stalled; to argue that the 'extra' accommodation of luxury flats is now needed to make a profit is just tough.
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Honest, upright Councillors on The Planning Committee on Wednesday need to consider this application carefully and ask some searching questions about the history of this application; events that led to it and perhaps consider that some-one is trying to make a farce of the whole planning process at TDC.

CLIVE HART IS STILL GOING STRONG!

I think Cllr Clive Hart does a good job as a TDC Ward Cllr in West Cliftonville and I was concerned that the reports concerning him slipping out of The Winter Gardens the other week, looking dejected and despondent may have led to a loss of morale. As the message below shows, he is still being very busy and cannot be accused of being bashful about telling everyone.
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'Friend & colleague

ONE WEEK ON - PLEASE TELL EM I'M STILL GOING STRONG!

This is just a note concerning my current position, as many people are coming up to me in the street really quite concerned that after last weeks KCC election results, I may no longer be involved in local matters.

Please understand - nothing could be further from the truth.

I intend to continue giving the same 100% I gave to my former County role to my 3 other major roles:

Leader of the Opposition at Thanet District Council.
A Cliftonville West District Ward Councillor.
Chair of Governors at the OUTSTANDING Laleham Gap Special School.

Just for example - please note (some of) my actions for this week following last Friday's results:

Saturday - I attended our joint Cliftonville West ward surgery with colleagues Cllr. Linda Aldred & Doug Clark.

Sunday - I attended the first Cliftonville Resident's Association (Oval Arena) concert of the summer.

Monday - I moved in to my Opposition Leader's office at TDC & held various meetings with group members.

Tuesday - I attended a meeting of residents, businesses & TDC officers in Cliftonville.

Wednesday - I attended a Renewal Area meeting with fellow councillors & TDC Officers.

Thursday - I attended a meeting regarding Thanet Works & also Chaired a meeting of the TDC Shadow Cabinet.

Friday - I Chaired a Finance & Personnel meeting at Laleham Gap School, then held a weekly ward meeting with Cllrs. Linda Aldred & Doug Clark in Northdown Road where we also later visited an event at the Royal School for Deaf Children Margate Road Project.

I've also dealt with a mountain of individual residents casework and had some 'interesting' dialogue with our local authorities.

The fact is, I now have time to focus completely on many varied local issues without all the travelling and consequently I've even managed to get just a little of my personal life back as well.

So if anyone asks - Clive lost one battle but will still be around for many more!!!!!

I also attach - for interest - a lovely letter from the Conservative Chairman of KCC.

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes

Clive'

IS TOY TOWN PLANNING INCOMPETENT? IF IT IS NOT, WHAT IS IT?

The Planning Committeee of TDC meets next Wednesday, 17th June to consider an application in regard to 1 Granville Marina. (Items 6a and 6b on its agenda). Luke Blaskett, the case Officer recommends APPROVAL to build an extension on the side of an illegally demolished Grade 2 Listed Building and turn it into five, 2 bedroomed flats and one, 1 bedroomed flat.
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What does he tell our Councillors (particularly Ezekiel's new members)?
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" Following the partial demolition of the Grade 2 listed building ( two thirds is hardly partial and it was done without Planning consent of TDC which is a criminal offence by the way) it was resolved by members to serve a repairs notice on the owner of 1 Granville Marina. Under this notice works on the reinstatement of the listed building were to start on 23 Feb 2009 and be completed by 30 Nov 2009."
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Does Mr Blaskett discuss this issue any further? No. Does he remind members the demolition was carried out without consent by TDC? No.
Was work started? No. Was it enforced? No.
So what is Mr Blaskett really saying here? Could it be:
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1. TDC is being taken for a ride here by a developer who has gone about demolition of a Grade 2 Listed Building without consent and has not been prosecuted?
2. So please, members of the planning committee, reward them by giving them what they wanted all along by approving an application you have already rejected?
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If this is not incompetence then what is it?

Let's hear now from Cllr Latchford OBE, Deputy Leader of TDC:
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"The council is utterly determined to ensure that this building is re-built in its previous form and, to this end, we have already served notices on the owner of the property. One requires emergency works to be carried out immediately and, if this is not done, the Council will undertake the work in default. The other notice requires the property to be put back in its original state. This will mean that the owner will have to submit detailed information on how they will achieve this requirement."
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Fine words but what a load of 'tosh'. One is reminded of the fine words spoken in April 2008 about a certain 'arsoned' Scenic Railway on the derelict Dreamland site; all 'blah'. The Leadership of this Council showed little integrity in not resigning after their disgraceful behaviour in The Woolen Mill last year, so why should we expect anything other than 'cod's wallop' in regard to this matter?

None of what Latchford said has happened and now his and his Leader's Planning Committtee are being advised to approve what is effectively a new development of SIX modern apartments on a prestigious location in place of a Grade 2 listed building that was meant to be protected in law by TDC!
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Another thought has crossed my mind; having removed Cllr Bill Hayton last year from Chair of Planning, (it is rumoured Ezekiel was upset by a Planning Committtee site visit to an Au Clair property in Victoria Rd which was taller than it oughta have been) and removed men of principle like Jarvis and Bruce from Planning, who is going to look at this application next week and 'nod' it through as Ezekiel appointees? ( I include our 'Conservative' Ind here).

Councillor A K Gregory (Chairman)
Councillor Simon Day (Vice-Chairman)
Councillor Crispin Crotty
Councillor Brian C Goodwin
Councillor Dean McCastree
Councillor Mrs Judith Russell
Councillor Mrs Karen Sullivan
Councillor Brian M Sullivan
Councillor Michael Tomlinson
Councillor Ted Watt-Ruffell

Another thought has crossed my mind; how many of them have received formal TRAINING in Planning Matters and if not, should they not be exempt from attending Planning Committee under TDC rules? On present form, who follows the rules at TDC anyway!
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All I can say, is that if Applications F/th/09/0051 and F/th/09/0052 are approved next week, then TDC is clearly shown to be one of the weakest, incompetent and most supine LPA's in the country in regard to up-holding Planning Law and in particular, in regard to Listed Buildings.
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If it is not incompetent, what is it?

PLANNING BY BULLDOZER MAKES A CHANGE!

The first two pictures above were sent to me by Steve Higgins (thanks) and show The Marina Cafe as it was in January 2008, only a month before two-thirds of it were demolished on the grounds that it was unsafe!

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Seeing the scaffolding in Northdown Road propping up a fire damaged building, one has to wonder why this wasn't done here. Anyway, TDC Planning is soon to make a decision on 1 Granville Marina, in Ramsgate. It would appear that Planning Officers are advising consent be given but if you read on, you might think it should be restored to its original state.

(My thanks to Michael Child at http://www.thanetonline.blogspot.com/ for permission to use his pics).
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The scene above shows TDC officials monitoring the demolition of an architectually important, Grade 2 listed building on Marina Esplanade in early February last year. Utterances at the time included words like 'it will have to be restored' and ' key bits will be saved and stored and incorporated into the restored building'. Go and look at F/TH/09/0051 and F/TH/09/0052 and what you will find is effectively a new and enlarged development and was this what the events of February 2008 were really all about?

Au Clair Properties' February 2009 application makes some hilarious reading and please refer to the picture above taken in February 2008, a year before the present application. Two thirds of the property had just been demolished in extraordinary circumstances. Here are some excerpts:
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"Does the proposal include the partial or total demolition of a listed building? [No]" (This of course had taken place in Feb 2008!)
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Previous use: "Vacant. restaurant with residential above.
"Total existing residential units? - 8 bedrooms in 8 bedsit/ studios" (Cannot see them in the pic above!).

What I found interesting was a Building Survey Report on behalf of a Mr Baker by Urban Surveying and Design Ltd dated 31 JUL 2007, A FULL 6 MONTHS EARLIER before Goody Ltd demolished 2/3 of the building whilst TDC Officers stood by. Here is an extract:
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" It is our considered opinion that the structure and fabric of this building are not economically viable to repair, as repairs are estimated at £400,000".
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"It would be possible to demolish the structure and incorporate any items of the fabric that have architectural merit suach as the ground floor stained glass and external features. The current architectural theme and design elements could be replicated and incorporated within a scheme to redevelop the site with an an appropriately designed development." (Remember these guys are talking about a Grade2 listed building. In addition has TDC charged for its costs storing the bits recovered in 2008?)
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Clague Architects in their survey of the surviving third of 1 Granville Marina in July 2008 for Au Clair stated:
"My conclusion is that itis unrealistic to attempt to repair the surviving part of the building". (I am not surprised having seen the pic above!)
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So I ask myself this simple question; How on earth was this demolition allowed to happen and why is TDC even considering this application.? A source tells me that Au Clair were recently reponsible for building a building higher than agreed by TDC; is this incompetence or a disregard of TDC as The Local Planning Authority? It seems to me that a 'fait accomplis' has been achieved to destroy a Grade 2 listed building and replace it with an extended new building offering high profit for the developer who now wishes to build five two bedroomed flats and 1 one bedroomed flat. The Goody smash and demolish job looks like the cheap and easy option!
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The other aspect that some readers of Michael Child regarding Royal Sands, might be interested in is the risk to occupants who might live in this development. A planning application (F/TH/08/1196) that resembles the present one closely, was turned down by TDC in November 2008. A Flood Risk Assessment had not been done! The Planning Officer reported that 1 Granville Marina is in EA Flood Zone 3a (which is second to 3b which represents a functional 'flood plain'.) The EA objected to the proposals on the grounds that "it is within the High Risk Rapid Inundation Zone, making it particularly vulnerable when the sea defences are breached or over-topped." Locals will remember sand-bagging at 1 Granville Marina was a regular feature of the past.
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The current application has a Flood Risk Assessment that seems to be at odds with the EA assessment despite the fact that both plans have had the ground floor level raised by one metre. The authors on behalf of Au Clair still stated that " It is highly recommended that future residents sign up to the EA Flood Warning Service."
What was also interesting was the advice to future residents that (despite being 1m higher than past residents) in the event of 'over-lapping' spray (waves crashing over the sea wall to you and me) they could fit flood skirts; do sandbagging and close air bricks; remain inside or retreat to high ground or (I loved this bit) seek refuge in communal stairwells or higher flats!
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So not only do we have a sad tale of a Grade 2 listed building in a prime location demolished amid strange circumstances but the 're-birth' into a luxury flat complex in a prime location seems to take the threat of the sea crashing into it far too lightly. I wonder if the new Ramsgate Council has some thoughts on the matter; they will need to move quickly.

WIND FARMS AND A LACK OF JOBS?

It is nice to know that the great and the good were out last week looking at Thanet's Off-shore Wind farm and that we have the pleasures of The London Array to come.

What I find fascinating is the development that is now encircling or is about to encircle us. China Gateway and Manston Airport to the South; industrial farming glass-houses and associated warehouses of Thanet Earth to the West and shortly we will see our empty seascape, one of the main attractions for visitors to our beaches, blighted with hundreds of turning turbines glistening in the sun.
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Sitting on Fort Hill the other morning with the sun lighting up clearly the wind-mills off Herne Bay (17km away) I wondered if any-one in Thanet has grasped the enormous visual intrusion on our seascapes that these wind farms are about to create? Whether on the northside or even in Broadstairs, that pleasure for visitors, of staring out to sea to the empty horizon, is about to be a thing of the past.
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Well of course, its worth it for the jobs, isn't it? What jobs? A look at Vattenfall's web-site shows that they have many employees all over Europe but a distinct lack of British employees; in fact no column is devoted to the UK at all.
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Here is what Vattenfall has to say about their project: (Capitals are mine)
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The total investment for completing the wind farm is in the order of around £780 million. A proportion of this COULD be spent locally with potential benefits for local suppliers and services.
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Local contractors and workers ARE currently being used in support of the development. (Who are they and how many jobs?)
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An assembly base is needed during the construction period. Up to 200 workers will be required, some of whom COULD be provided locally.
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A local maintenance facility is needed during the 40 year operational life of the wind farm. Up to 20 skilled positions will be required, many of whom COULD be provided locally.
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Tourism MAY be boosted. Many visitors have been attracted to both onshore and offshore wind farm developments in the past.

If anyone can confirm that this project is actually creating lots of local employment, I would be very grateful to hear about it. In the meantime, I will think of those foreign chaps in Whitstable who are maintaining Herne Bay's wind-mills and think how more European I need to become.

THE COUNTRY NEEDS BROWN TO STAY FOR AS LONG AS HE CAN

Six months ago I wanted this Government out as quickly as possible. Now I am not so sure.
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As the media, Cameron and Brown's own party descend into a shark like 'feeding frenzy', I am beginning to think that the present hysteria in the country, fuelled by 3 weeks of revelations from The Daily Telegraph, needs to settle before the country goes to the polls again.
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Let's be quite frank about the scandals at Westminster; the Conservative MPs have been as bad as Labour MPs and in many instances worse, in making outrageous allowance claims. It is a natural inclination to want to see the back of the lot of them but calm reflection is needed.
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The grim economic situation has not gone away and neither have the Taliban in Afghanistan. We will need talented and experienced MPs at Westminster for some time to come and if we rush to the polls in a precipitous manner as a result of indignation and disgust we might end up with a House of Commons with all sorts of 'odd bods' sitting there.
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There is a saying that 'vengeance is a dish best savoured cold' and the electorate will get its chance soon enough next year. Cold deliberation about the serious problems this country faces is now needed and the last thing we need is a Labour Government tearing itself apart in these frenzied times. Cameron and the Conservatives need to do some house-keeping and preparation if they are going to be able to take over and get things sorted properly. We need a calming down period where effective policies and plans to solve the mess we are in , can be made carefully and cautiously and put to the electorate in a clear and reasoned manner.
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History teaches us that 'revolutionary' times very rarely lead to effective future government.
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Perhaps it might be best for us all to wait a while and have some patience?

WELLS & JARVIS IN AT MARGATE AND CLIFTONVILLE

Strife's roving reporter has just phoned in from The Winter Gardens with the news that all the pavement pounding by Bertie has paid off, with a little help from Gordon Brown and Cllr Chris Wells and Cllr Mike Jarvis have been elected as KCC Councillors for Margate and Cliftonville. Congratulations to them both. My commiserations go to Clive Hart and Iris Johnston who were given a bad wicket to play on by their Prime Minister.

The turnout was about 31% which is miserable and it was quite a close run thing really with UKIP and Lib Dems putting on a good show. It would seem that perhaps Conservative voters stayed at home or gave UKIP and others their votes as support for both main parties was hit by the MP's expenses scandal.

Here are the results:

Elenor (UKIP) - 1726

Hando (LibDem) - 628

Hart (Lab) - 2186

Jarvis (Con) - 2404

Johnston (Lab) - 2144

Oakes (libDeem) - 327

Wells (Con) - 2493

Other brief news indicates that Cllrs Hayton and Bayford made it in Broadstairs & Montefiore as was expected but Jenny Matterface on her first time out as a Labour Candidate, managed a very respectable 1500 odd votes which is good, given the circumstances.

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It would appear that Liz Green is Thanet's only Labour KCC Councillor with that hard working excellent Alan Poole, losing his KCC seat. Ramsgate's vote appears to have been distorted by UKIP and Ramsgate First doing well and much to our shame perhaps, the BNP picking up 800 odd votes. Independent Cllr Bob Grove has continued the Ind tradition for Thanet villages and will be a proper Ind to join Cllr King, one hopes.

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Perhaps Thanet's public might consider a directly elected Independent Mayor soon or, if not, in 2011 putting in a host of Independent Cllrs into TDC?

WE NEED COMPULSORY VOTING, OZ STYLE

I have pounded the streets, delivering for Conservative and Labour alike, and have now spent a few hours 'telling' outside a scout hut. For me this hustings is now over.
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What struck me most was the age of the 120 odd voters who came to vote between 7 and mid-day; literally a handful of under 30s and most 60+. None of the young mums and dads taking children to the nearby school popped into vote. Politics may have a bad reputation at the moment but not voting is an issue that needs addressing if this country is to ever have a healthy thriving democracy at every level.
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10 years of 'Citizenship' in Schools has had the reverse effect of increased sex-education; voting declines as unsafe sexual activity amongst the young has increased. Perhaps its time to consider a compulsory voting scheme as in Australia and if people want to protest they can do so by spoiling their ballot papers and scribbling rude comments on them.
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Of those who told me that they were voting for my two Conservative candidates for KCC, not one had a good word to say about our Conservative Leader at TDC; interesting.
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I assume it must be par for the course to be ignored by keen supporters of other parties when sporting a blue rosette but I must say I was only snarled at in typical Thanet style by only one couple who clearly had Iris and Clive in mind.
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It would appear that counting of votes will not take place in The Winter Gardens tonight but will take place during the day tomorrow, so everyone will have to wait to see how it all went and whether the sole-leather expended was all worth it.

COMMERCIAL GROUP PROPERTIES AND CHINA GATEWAY

Well, CGP has published its statement for period ending Nov 2008. You can read the detail at :

http://www.commercialgroupproperties.plc.uk/announcements_charimans_statement.htm .

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As I suspected, Wigan is looking distinctly cold at the moment and Dover is even colder. That leaves China Gateway at Manston Business Park as the main hope for better times. CGP are very up-beat about an MOU with UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) though quite what this means is beyond me.

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Robin Bolton, CGP Chairman (LH pic) is quite honest and states, " The Company requires financial support in order to continue as a going concern." It will not be surprising to read further and find that their main banker, The Israel Discount Bank has lent CGP another £1.7 million and the debt is now up from £28.5 million to £30.2 million. The good news for CGP is that they now have until 31 May 2010 to repay it as opposed to November this year. This gives them the opportunity to get their hands on Chinese cash before hand!

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Robin Bolton also tells us that the start of development at Manston will not start as originally planned in Oct 2009 but will now start in the first half of 2010. This has to be good news for the Robertsons of Alland Grange, who have an oil-seed rape crop ripening at the moment on CGP land. If they get their act together, they could squeeze in a 'cash-crop' of purple -sprouting brocolli after the oil-seed rape crop; such is the versatility of Thanet's prime agricultural land that is about to be covered in concrete.

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CGP's share price has settled back to 20p today and it is interesting to see that Director Chris Seymour -Prosser (lower RH pic) seems to have transferred 50,000 ordinary shares at 'nil' consideration to Julie Wing (a fellow director and partner of Ken Wills). In addition, the biggest move of shares since 'Strife' has been watching CGP seems to be delayed. Share sites report that an ordinary share transaction of 295,000 shares at 23p, worth £67,850, on 29th May has been

delayed. Bertie, has got no clue what this means but, this is the biggest sale of CGP shares seen since an interest in CGP began last year. Can any readers explain what this means?

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Whilst Robin Bolton gives effusive praise to SEEDA et al and includes TDC for being such helpful co-operative chaps, what is EKO LLP upto and how much scarce CGP cash has been given to help pay for Sandy's 'Big Event' in Palm Bay later this month as CGP's logo appears on publicity blurb for this year's event again.

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At least there is no live Planning Application in the system this year, is there?

OPEN FARM SUNDAY AT QUEX PARK ON 7th JUNE

Please click on the pic for more details if you are interested in a day out on the 'farm'.
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Quex Park is our biggest farming enterprise on what is left of ever dwindling farmland on Thanet and it is important for all of us to realise the connection between farmers and our food.
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Quex Park has led the way in the past 13 years in combining modern farming with improving the natural environment, in sponsoring and allowing 'sponsored' planting schemes of hedgerows, shelter belts and tree-lines on its land and is the only farm on Thanet within the Countryside Stewardship Scheme that has wild-life headlands, permissive footpaths and bridleways around its land. Visitors staying at Two Chimneys Caravan Park have immediate access, as do our local stables and riding clubs, to over 5 km of permissive bridleways and footpaths behind hedgerows around Birchington and Westgate for country walks and rides. A few years ago Thanet residents would have seen ploughed fields right up to road verges and nowhere to walk or ride.
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Go along on Sunday and find out what they are upto and what they are doing in terms of helping to feed you.
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If you want more details about LEAF, go to http://www.leafuk.org/leafuk/organisation/.