TDC's WARPED VISION FOR THANET

What an extraordinary vision for Thanet, Ezekiel and his cronies seem to have for Thanet's future. If you haven't done so yet, you need to read TDC's vision for The Future that is up for 'consultation' as Thanet's Local Development Framework and can be accessed on TDC's website.
It seems to favour big-business, developers, covering the Isle in concrete and regarding current local inhabitants as deprived, dependent plebs. The picture above gives you some idea of the problem. I find it amazing that the document includes phrases like; "high level protection for the environment" - "sustainable development" and " development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own neeeds". So when the aquifer is gone and Thanet's versatile agricultural land is built on, what about food and drink as basic needs?

The first 50 odd pages seems a justification to redesignate Eurokent (owned by EKO i.e TDC/KCC/us and Rose Farm Estates) as residential land and not employment land as shown in The Thanet Plan 2006. I warned readers early last year that this was likely to happen and in September 2008 this was confirmed by the 'vision' in the pic below and now in the LDF. Instead of employment land, they want Eurokent to be 600 odd houses etc for....... you make your own mind up!
What is one to make of quote after quote of which these are just a few illustrations:
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"a good supply of QUALITY family homes in pleasant residential neighbourhoods (i.e Eurokent)
is an important factor not only to meet existing aspirations but also to attract investors in high value job creating development."
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"discourage in-migration by economically dependent households and meet aspirations of households in high value employment."
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" It is particularly important... to plan for an increase in the type of homes that will meet the aspirations of employers and economically active households aspiring to higher value jobs and to dampen further homes of a type attracting in-migration by dependent and vulnerable people".
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Now forgive me but how many Thanet residents that TDC Councillors represent can afford £250,000 + houses in what will be the 'posh' suburb of Westwood Cross? ( now designated as THE PRIMARY TOWN CENTRE FOR THANET!) Excuse me while I reach into an old Tesco Bag and dig out the bits about about 500 Chinese staff at China Gateway needing housing for their families.
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But you might say, that Ezekiel is on public record as saying that'no further farmland will be designated for employment purposes for China Gateway Phases 2 and 3.' So he is, but what do you make of this from the LDF? You must appreciate that whatever lame excuses used to depart from The Thanet Plan 2006 to re-designate Eurokent as 'housing', the following from the LDF on Page 43 should make you realise that China Gateway or similar can get the go ahead:
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D9: Set out specific based criteria to be WEIGHED AGAINST OTHER POLICIES (all those nice ones about preserving Thanet's highly productive farmland etc) when determining applications for job creating development WHOSE REQUIREMENTS may not be met by existing allocated or safeguarded sites".
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Let me put this in plain English. Most of Manston Business Park has already been developed or has China Gateway Phase 1 approved by Planning last year and if Eurokent is taken out what is left for employment? CGP or CGI has already been in negotiation with EKO about the rest of Manston Business Park. So what this means is quite simple, give TDC a big employment development plan and it will now have the LDF to justify granting planning consent for the building of wharehouses or whatever, on any site left in Thanet on open farmland.
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Who says China Gateway Phases 2 and 3 will not happen?
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This is the same Council that made sure Dreamland's owners doubled the value of its property by a quirky decision that led to its dereliction for 5 years . What other developers will see their land increase in value with this open ended policy that has no restriction to it.
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So the cheap imitation of a poor US shopping Mall, Westwood Cross, is, at the scribble of a TDC pen to become the 'premier' town centre in Thanet whilst Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs just have to get on with it. Does anyone in their right mind, other than TDC, think Westwood Cross can be described as a 'town centre'? As for the poor common man in Thanet, you don't come into the equation if you cannot aspire to a £ 250,000 house in a nice suburb that used to be called Eurokent Business Park. Even if you go down to sit on the beach and wonder how your minimum wage salary will get you through the month, you will find that your peaceful view to the horizon, that is meant to be a real plus point for visitors, has been blighted by the positioning of Thanet Wind Farm and The London Array.
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If you have persevered, dear reader, with this post, could I leave you with the TDC view in its LDF document about that industrial estate outside Birchington, called Thanet Earth. (A recent post and its comments confirms that there are few Thanetonians employed there!) :
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"The Thanet Earth was exceptionally permitted on land outside Thanet Business Parks in light of its significant potential to strengthen and diversify Thanet's economic and employment base."
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Really?

SUPPORT THE LABOUR CANDIDATE IN DANE VALLEY ON 3rd DEC!

As an ex North Thanet Conservative Asssociation chap, Bertie finds it strange to be advocating support in his ward for Mrs Sandra Hart, the prospective Labour Candidate for Dane Valley Ward and of course Clive Hart's wife.

There is no doubt that since 2003 when Labour Candidate Ken Gregory (yes,'Our Ken' who seems to switch Parties like a yo-yo) lost to Conservative Ian Gregory, Labour has had a tough time in Dane Valley.
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Since 2007, it would be fair to say that the only Conservative Councillor of the 3 elected (all had my votes at the time), who has served Dane Valley properly has been Cllr Mike Jarvis. The problem,as Bertie sees it, is that Watt-Ruffell, our teetotal strict methodist, has been busy being Mayor and inviting psychics to his parlour; Jarvis having upset 'Our Leader' by thinking for himself on Planning and thus getting sacked (would Bradgate have got its extension on farmland with him and Cllr Bruce on Planning still?) has legged it to KCC, perhaps disgusted with his own Tory Leadership in Thanet; and the less said about Broadhurst the better, although unkind comments are that he took himself off to sulk in Panama, when his firm lost TDC's Security Contract.
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So why do I recommend Mrs Hart? Simple really. Dane Valley needs proper representation by a hard- working local Councillor. With the exception of one or two very hard working Conservative Councillors, who get stuck into their wards; Simon Moores over in Westgate being an excellent example of a good ward Councillor; too many Conservative Councillors barely know where their ward is, let alone actually do very much in it.
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So on the Thursday 3rd December, the electorate in Dane Valley might like to put national political prejudices aside, and ask themselves who is the most likely to come and knock on their doors throughout the year; hold weekly clinics; get stuck into issues that worry people; be instantly contactable by phone or e-mail and represent Dane Valley residents of all political persuasions. The answer, I am afraid, is Mrs Sandra Hart.
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Who are likely to be her opponents in this election?
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Well, we have a Conservative 're-tread' in Ingrid Spencer who lost out to Tom King in Westgate in 2007 and who has the misfortune to be an Ezekiel stalwart. Bill Furness of The Lib/Dems who would be a lone voice in the present 'Wild West' environment of TDC and like-wise any Independents like Wendy Allan. We certainly do not want a BNP representing Dane Valley and their literature has already appeared through the door!
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The 3rd December is an ideal opportunity to send a message to Ezekiel that Thanet people are as fed up with him and his Council as they are with Brown and his Westminster Government and in the process add strength to the 'opposition' in TDC to fight the nonsenses in TDC that make it the laughing stock and butt of jokes, even among the KCC Conservatives at Maidstone.

THINK LOCAL - NOT NATIONAL - VOTE HART

A TALE OF TWO PLANNING APPLICATIONS

This is an interesting tale of how perverse the Planning set up at TDC can be.

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The pic above, taken by one of the 'Strife' team was used, to support the case for a new illuminated sign at The Swan in Westgate. The application for the sign above the door had been refused by Planning Officers as The Swan was now in a conservation area. The applicant re-applied and the application was 'called-in' to The Planning Committtee last Wednesday. The advice by Officers to our Councillors was that they should refuse the application. The applicant sent all members concerned pictures, including the one above together with the case for 'improving' the situation by removing the sign on the right and in its place having the tasteful sign 'The Swan at Westgate'. Here is another pic of the new sign.

The applicant put his case in person to our Councillors on Wednesday and was supported by two of his Westgate Councillors who both urged the Committtee members to support the application on the simple grounds that the removal of one sign to be replaced by a more tasteful sign actually enhanced the objectives of the new Conservation Area. After discussion and the twilight activities of one Cllr being mentioned, The Planning Committtee unanimously approved this application.
This is a pic of another application considered by The Planning Committtee last Wednesday. Some readers might remember that an extension to Bradgate Caravan Park, at Lydden was resoundingly turned down by a Planning Committtee last year ( F/TH/08/0892). Our Councillors at the time considered that enough prime agricultural land was being lost in Thanet already.
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Well, with some self thinking Conservative Councillors kicked off The Planning Committee since last year, to be replaced by Ezekiel 'yes men/women', you might be amazed at how the re-application for exactly the same extension to Bradgate Caravan Park was dealt with last Wednesday. Officers were quite clear on their advice to Cllrs that the application( TH/09/0515) still ran against all sorts of TDC policies (CC1, CC2, CC9 etc) and that there was no case economically etc for this application to be approved and recommended it be turned down, AGAIN.
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A fascinating turn of events then ocurred. There was no plea before the Committtee from the applicant or any of his representatives, but Cllr Shirley Tomlinson quickly moved it to be approved, followed by a seconder; what a surprise that it should be her husband, Cllr Mick Tomlinson. A vote was quickly taken without any discussion or consideration by the Planning Committtee of the report to them by their own officers and every Conservative members hand shot up, including that Ind Cons, Cllr McCastree to approve. Such is the casual way that prime agricultural land is now developed on in Thanet. Heaven help us!
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Readers should be aware that Conservative members meet together before this Committtee for refreshments and that all members are required under Planning Law to consider an application on the basis of what they hear or discuss in Committtee, WITHOUT PRE-DETERMINATION.

I may just be a simple chap, but if there is no discussion or debate in Committtee and the only evidence presented to you is a recommendation to refuse from your Planning Officers and no pleas from the applicant, then the natural consequence should be TO REFUSE and a move to approve, without discussion, by a Cabinet Member, who also serves on the Planning Committtee, seems perverse.
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But this is democracy in Thanet at work, isn't it?
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The Swan may have needed to argue its case about a simple illuminated sign and have two local councillors argue the case cogently and well, to get approval in the face of Officer's advice but Bradgate can now take acres of prime agricultural land out of food production without any discussion at all in the face of Officers' advice.

BACK TO BLOGGING

Family matters have occupied my time to the exclusion of all others for some time. With resolutions to problems in place, I am glad to be able to get back to Thanet issues.

If a wheezy, troublesome PC allows, I hope to be able to get posting again. Sorry to find out ECR appears to be laid up in plaster after a near death experience and Tony Flaig in low output mode due to other commitments. Michael Child has been busy regarding The Pleasurama development or lack of it and new bloggers are livening up the scene. I must add some more links in due course.

Like Panama Broadhurst's removal from TDC, Mrs Tree's bench has gone from Westgate and is unlikely to be seen again. Odd to find the Labour Goverment's 12 years in office has so distorted Conservative thinking that like Labour, the answer to problems caused by yobs is to remove a bench enjoyed by the rest of us. When will we learn to stop kicking the poor dog when it is the cat that soiled on the mat?

Better see if this will load on Blogger and then on to other matters!