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).