| Topic: | Developers 2 , residents 0 | |
| Posted by: | Patricia Poulter | |
| Date/Time: | 16/04/11 13:47:00 |
| The rule book has been thrown out when it comes to high rises on the URR. It has been judged that the planning regulations can be dismissed if it means that high rise high profit developments can be built against the wishes of the local residents( some 155 letters of objection, a petition of 122 signatures, a letter from J Greening MP objecting were not even mentioned). Furthermore untrue statements on the subject of windows allowing daylight to neighbours was repeated at that meeting despite the case officer having been given proper evidence during consultation, as was each committee member after the report of the case officer and ahead of the committee meeting. The transport issues were not answered other than by suggesting that the applicant had submitted info that showed spare capacity. When it comes to the reprovision of office space, the rules require 100% reprovision, the 12% offered by the developer was accepted because he had done a study that showed this was no longer needed. One can wonder why if we as taxpayers paid for a survey in June 2010 that showed there was still a need for 100% reprovision, it was then decided that the developer's study done shortly afterwards claims this was not the case by such a large margin.In fact WBC have now changed the rules on office reprovision based on the developer's study. At that same meeting Cllor Maddan spoke on behalf of 5 neighbours objecting to a roof ridge increase of 850mm (less than 3 feet)in Deodar Rd. The officer had recommended approval of the application, the Committee refused the planning permission. So an increase in the height of a property on the URR by 30 metres is acceptable because the neighbours' properties are "too low" as stated by the case officer ( eventhough they have been there since the 1860s) but a ridge increase of 3 feet is unacceptable near a Councillor's house(not that this was stated at the meeting). Rufus there are rules for you and I and other rules for developers. I fully expect to see a photo of a bunch of beaming Councillors standing in front of Capsticks on the Coucil's website telling us how it was all for our own good. |