Friday 10 July 2009

THE MORE THE MERRIER?

Please click on the 'flyer' for details.
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I must congratulate the residents of Dumpton Park Drive for their initiative to publicise in such a great way, what many perceive to be an erroneous and wasteful effort by TDC in pursuing its asset disposal in the way it has done. Who is to blame for this?
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From where I sit, it seems to be Mr Brian White leading Cllr Latchford by the nose, with the Leader acting the part of the organ grinder. All TDC has to do is to follow its own Cabinet decision of August last year and re-start discussions with residents to dispose of its probably 'land-locked' piece of scrubland!
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I suspect this whole business will be viewed by many Conservative Councillors as yet another unmitigated PR disaster concocted by their Leadership and senior officers. What they also need to realise is, that whatever the eventual outcome, this is yet another instance of losing the support of the electorate in a ward that used to be solidly Conservative. The Conservative Party in Thanet needs to wake up quickly to the possibility that in 2011 its natural supporters might teach it a sharp lesson by supporting Independent local candidates as a protest at the continued poor, discredited administration in Cecil Square led by Councillors who clearly failed to maintain 'Standards'.
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So go along tomorrow to The Village Green in Dumpton Park and join in the Summer Fete! By just poling up at 2.00pm and being there for a while, you will demonstrate to TDC that you do not approve of its present conduct. In addition you can support the charity Guide Dogs for The Blind, to whom all proceeds will be donated.
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The more the merrier and the bigger the message to those who seem unable to run Thanet's affairs competently any more!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The argument is simple Bertie. Sales = cash. Cash helps buy a swimming pool for the use of everybody.

No sales - no swimming pool.

If the residents want the land for a village green they can buy it. £50k-£70k should do it. End of story and everybody wins. So stop trying to make a big story out of something which is really very simple.

Bertie Biggles said...

You have missed the point entirely13:12!

There is no dispute with the selling of TDC's asset(the landlocked land behind the houses)and this was the offer made in 2007! In 2008, the Cabinet took a decision to sell and part of the decision required a return to Ward Cllr and residents who had already offered to purchase it. This did not happen!
What could have been a win win situation with TDC tax-payers and TDC gaining a return and locals getting landlocked land for gardens has deteriorated through some odd goings on to a farcical situation. TDC's claims via Cheryl Prendry that TDC and 'the railway operator'have access needs to be substantiated by TDC with some firm evidence! There is already one complaint being investigated by the LGO. How many more might there be?

Anonymous said...

There are no major issues - this could be dealt with very quickly with goodwill all round.

Bertie Biggles said...

Absolutely right, 14:27. Time for TDC to contact residents and their ward councillors as they should have done a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

Other way round surely? If the residents want to buy it, theu should contact the council. Isn't this just another case of the nanny state having to do everything for everybody? Shame on those who usr this as a stick to beat authority with. Do they think Brian White and his officers have nothing else to do?

Get a life Bertie.

Bertie Biggles said...

23:08, you clearly have not been reading yourself into this story or you are being so partisan that you ignore the facts of the matter! I will ignore your Thanet rudeness at the end of your post.

Let me re-iterate. Residents made offer in 2007; TDC Cabinet mandated a return by Cllr Latchford and Mr White to residents. This did not happen. Instead a planning application for a house on land the Council did not and does not have absolute title to was made!

Brian White and his officers certainly have better things to do like not wasting time and tax-payers money pursuing a Planning Application themselves that Cllrs have already shown they are not happy with and failing to abide by a Cabinet decision made in Aug 2008, 11 months ago!

Over to you?