KKG – Document 93     KKG – Document 93a

Dear Neighbour

Last evening a couple of Spelthorne residents attended the Planning Committee of Runnymede Borough Council.  (My goodness, we know how to live).

On the agenda was an item involving the SHMA Joint Member Liaison Group. SHMA means “Strategic Housing Market Assessment”. It is “Joint” because Runnymede and Spelthorne have included themselves in the same Strategic Housing Area. Basically, housing needs in one Borough cannot be determined in isolation, and must have regard to housing need in other Boroughs in the same Strategic Housing Area.

For example, Runnymede may not have the land to accommodate their housing needs, and Spelthorne will have to see whether they can help out. And vice versa. This is all necessary because central government has imposed on Local Planning Authorities a Duty to Consult.

The Runnymede agenda item asked the Planning Committee to approve the Terms of Reference for this newly created Group, which first met on 16 December 2014. (See Document 93 attached). All very anodyne stuff. There was a desultory discussion, and the Terms of Reference were duly approved. All done in public.

Being a Joint Group, Spelthorne would also have to agree to the same Terms of Reference – exactly the same Terms of Reference, as otherwise the Joint Group could not work in practice, as each LPA would then have a different idea of what the Joint Group was supposed to do.

We were, however, very interested to learn that these Terms of Reference (see Document 93a attached) were discussed by Spelthorne at exactly the same time last evening. But at Spelthorne the discussion was held behind closed doors at a meeting of the Local Plan Working Party, and the pieces of paper (on which were printed precisely the same words as at Runnymede) were all marked, in very large type from corner to corner, CONFIDENTIAL.

We certainly can’t understand it. Have a look for yourself. What on earth on Document 93 could be CONFIDENTIAL? Perhaps one or other of you might like to ask this of the Council at the Public Meeting next Tuesday 3 February, at the London Irish Centre off Croysdale Avenue in Sunbury. Doors open 6:15 pm, presentation and Q&A session from 7:00pm.

And if you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition at http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/keepkemptongreen or follow the links at http://www.keepkemptongreen.com

 

Kind regards

Keep Kempton Green

 

Kempton Park – Timeline – question to Council

Dear Neighbour

Spelthorne Council will be holding an “information event” on Tuesday 3 February (see  https://keepkemptongreen.com/2015/01/14/a-date-for-your-diary/ for details).

The purpose of this public meeting is to “clarify issues and misunderstandings relating to Kempton Park”.  Doors open at 6:15 pm, and there will be a presentation, followed by a Q&A session, starting at 7:00 pm.

Questions can be asked on the night, but the Council will also take questions in advance.

LOSRA have sent the following advance question:

“Can the Chief Executive & Leader give a categorical assurance that neither they, nor any other member of the council or Officer, have ever, either directly or by inference, given any indication to The Jockey Club, or it’s representatives, that they should, with acceptable solutions to the proposed site and roads infrastructure, consider a residential or other development on their Green Belt land; and that exception to Local Plan policy could be justified in order to facilitate any development application?”

Paul Thompson, Chair, LOSRA

KKG have sent the following advance question:

“Does the Council agree that the Timeline (attached and below) regarding the proposals for the residential development on the Kempton Park estate is accurate?”

Kind regards
Keep Kempton Green

TIMELINE – Kempton Park Development Proposals

2 Sep 2005              Covenant signed

23 Feb 2012            Email exchange – HM, RT, LB, LON – re Kempton Park and affordable housing

27 Feb 2012            Email exchange – HM, MG, VS – re Covenant

21 Mar 2012          Tour of Kempton Park – FA, JP, IB, SD, GF, MF, DG, CN, DP1, RS-A, RW, RT, HM, TC, LON

10 May 2012          Meeting at Kempton Park – GF, SD, DP1

22 Aug 2012           Email exchange – CM, DS – re Covenant

23 Oct 2012            Meeting at Kempton Park – RT, HM, LON, MG, CF, MS

23 Jan 2013            Meeting at Kempton Park – Kempton Park Working Party – GF, MF, SD, HM, MB, PH

24 Jan 2013            Email exchange – HM, RT, LON – re Kempton Park proposals

6 Feb 2013              “High Level” Meeting at Knowle Green – RW, RT, LON, HM, MS, CF, WG, PH

19 Feb 2013            Meeting at Knowle Green – HM, DK, ML

7 Mar 2013              Meeting at Kempton Park – RT, HM, LON, MS, PW

27 Mar 2013          Meeting at Knowle Green: HM, MB, DK ML – cancelled

10 Apr 2013            “High Level” Meeting at Kempton Park – HM, RT, LON, RW, SW, MB, PH, WG, MS

17 April 2013          Meeting – Update – SBC and JC

8 May 2013            Meeting – Introduction to consultants’ team

20 May 2013          Email exchange – HM, SM, TW-F, MG, LON – re Kempton park proposals

5 Jun 2013              Internal SCC email re Kempton Park proposals

7 Jun 2013              Email exchange – HM, DK, ML, MB – re David Lock Associates contribution to Local Economic Assessment

17 Jun 2013            Environment Agency emails regarding site visit to Kempton Park

26 June 2013          “High Level” Meeting at Knowle Green – RW, SW, RT, LON, HM, MS, WG, PH, MB, DP2

28 June 2013          Roberto Tambini letters to CEs of Hounslow, Richmond & Elmbridge

2 Jul 2013                  Email exchange – HM, MB – re work on housing targets

9 Jul 2013                  Meeting at Twickenham – Kempton Park Feasibility Meeting – Mouchel, LB Richmond, TfL

11 Jul 2013             Conversation – AD, RW at Walton Bridge opening

15 Jul 2013             Meeting at Knowle Green – LOSRA and SBC – AD, ZC, RT, HM

17 Jul 2013             Meeting – Kempton Park Steering Group – DP1, MF, SW

13 Aug 2013           Meeting At Kempton Park – LOSRA and JC – AD, IF, MB, DD, NK – tour of eastern side of the estate

13 Aug 2013           Meeting at Kempton Park – Councillors

4 Sep 2013              Mark Boyes Costco objection letter

11 Sep 2013            Meeting at Knowle Green – MB, HM, RT re Costco objection

12 Sep 2013            “High Level” Meeting at Kempton Park

9 Oct 2013                Meeting at Kempton Park – LOSRA and JC – AD, IF, MB, DD

10 Oct 2013            Conversation AD, RW, SW after Fire Service public meeting

23 Oct 2013            Mouchel Feasibility Study Hampton Traffic

24 Oct 2013            Meeting at Magpie – AD, ZC, JH, NK

12 Nov 2013           Meeting at TE’s house – TE, AF, AD, ZC

12 Nov 2013           Email exchange – HM, RT – re David Lock Associates

Mid Nov 2013         Meeting at Kempton Park – HM, DK, senior officers

9 Dec 2013             Meeting at Knowle Green – HM, RT, MB, “D”

9 Dec 2013             Meeting at Knowle Green – LOSRA and SBC – RT, HM, LON, RW, TE, AF, AD, ZC, IF

28 Jan 2014            Meeting – Update – SBC and JC

20 Feb 2014            “High Level” Meeting at Knowle Green – RT, RW, VL, JB, MS, MB, DP2

21 May 2014          Meeting at Highways Agency Dorking – HA, SCC, KP, Mouchel – Transportation Scoping Meeting

26 Jun 2014            Meeting at Kempton Park – Kempton Park Residents Liaison Group

6 Jan 2015              Meeting at Kempton Park – Kempton Park Residents Liaison Group + councillors

KEY:

AD: Alan Doyle, Chair, LOSRA to Dec 2013

AF: Cllr Alfred Friday

CF: Colin Fellows, Group Property Director, The Jockey Club to Jul 2013

CM: Clare Marland, Principal Lawyer, SBC

CN: Cllr Caroline Nichols

DD: David Dewar, Mouchel (transport consultants)

DG: Cllr Denise Grant

DK: David Keene, David Lock Associates, (urban planning consultants)

DS: Dion Scherer, Senior Surveyor, Kempton Carr Croft

DP1: Cllr Daxa Patel

DP2: Duncan Phillips, Aspire, (development consultants)

FA: Cllr Frank Ayers, Leader, SBC to Jan 2013

GF: Cllr Gerry Forsbrey

HM: Heather Morgan, Head of Planning, SBC to Jan 2014

IB: Cllr Ian Beardsmore

IF: Iain Findlay, Committee member, LOSRA

JB: John Brooks, Head of Planning, SBC from Jan 2014

JP: Cllr J Pinkerton, Deputy Leader of Spelthorne Council to Jan 2013

LB: Liz Borthwick, Assistant Chief Executive, SBC

LON: Lee O’Neil, Assistant Chief Executive, SBC

MB: Mark Boyes, Aspire, (development consultants)

MF: Cllr Mark Francis

MG: Michael Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, SBC

ML: Matthew Lappin, David Lock Associates, (urban planning consultants)

MS: Mike Street, Chairman, Kempton Park to Jan 2013

NK: Nick Kilby, Cratus, (PR consultants)

PH: Peter Hopson, Aspire (development consultants)

PW: Phil White, MD, Kempton Park

RS-A: Cllr Richard Smith-Ainsley

RT: Roberto Tambini, Chief Executive, SNC

RW: Cllr Robert Watts, Leader, SBC from Jan 2013

SD: Cllr Sandra Dunn

SM: Sandy Muirhead, Head of Sustainability and Leisure, SBC

SW: Cllr Suzy Webb, Cabinet member for Planning

TC: Assistant Chief Executive, SBC

TE: Cllr Tim Evans

TW-F: Tracey Willmott-French, Senior Environmental Health Manager, SBC

VL: Cllr Vivienne Leighton, Cabinet member for Planning

VS: Victoria Statham, Principal Solicitor, SBC

WG: William Gittus, Group Property Director, The Jockey Club from Jul 2013

ZC: Ziz Coltart, Treasurer, LOSRA to Mar 2014

 

 

 

Dear Neighbour

Redrow and The Jockey Club are just friends.

So we were told at the second meeting of the Kempton Park Racecourse Residents Liaison Group earlier this month. (The first meeting was six months ago.) Present, with the PR consultant for the Kempton Park development, and the MD of the racecourse, were representatives from KKG, LOSRA, The Hampton Society and the Kempton Residents Association, as well as some councillors from the two Sunbury wards.

Far from Redrow being the dead cert (as they say in racing circles) to build the proposed 1500 dwellings plus commercial units at Kempton Park, they are just a company with whom The Jockey Club is “friendly”.

Was there a beauty contest  (perhaps bloodstock sale is a better description – see https://keepkemptongreen.com/2014/07/10/mr-concrete/ ) involving other potential construction “friends?”, we asked. “Yes”, we were told. Did Redrow win that beauty contest? “Weeeeeell …”, was the reply.

Of course, no-one ever suggested that Redrow would definitely build the Kempton Park development, should it gain planning permission in defiance of local opinion, central government planning guidance and the Council’s own rules. Merely that they had won an option to buy the land, subject to all sorts of provisos. Anyway, a formally recognised “friend” they have become, and “friend” they shall stay.

A2Dominion, however, the social housing charity who did not win the beauty contest, (despite, we are sure, showing off their assets to best advantage), will never become a friend of The Jockey Club. They were the ones who let the Kempton Park cat out of the bag at the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. The way they had spoken to the Committee, we were told, was deplorable, and pretty much ruled them out of the “friendship” stakes for the foreseeable. A non-runner, as they say.

A previous “friend” of The Jockey Club, Mouchel, have been unfriended. Mouchel were the transport consultants for the Kempton Park development. They were the ones responsible for the enormous amount of work that has gone into the traffic feasibility survey (see  https://keepkemptongreen.com/2014/03/21/keep-kempton-green-10/ ) of local roads, and the more recent roadside graffiti and CCTV cameras at Hampton Court, the Hampton Court Triangle, and Kempton Park itself. This was, we were told, because The Jockey Club wants instead to become “friends” with a company that could build, as well as design, the roadways they are planning to deal with the extra burden of traffic from the 1500 dwellings and commercial units.

Who could this new “friend” be? Are they also a “friend” of Redrow, who insisted on Mouchel being ousted as a potential rival for The Jockey Club’s affections? As soon as we find out, we’ll let you know.

 

Don’t forget the Public Meeting on Kempton Park. 3 February at the London Irish Centre off Croysdale Avenue in Sunbury. Doors open 6:15 pm, presentation and Q&A session from 7:00pm.

And thanks to all those who have signed the petition over the Christmas break. If you have not yet signed, please go to

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/keepkemptongreen

or follow the links at http://www.keepkemptongreen.com

 

Kind regards
Keep Kempton Green

 

 

 

KKG – Document 89      KKG – Document 90

Dear Neighbour

So, two-and-a-half months after it was first agreed to on 25 November:

( see https://keepkemptongreen.com/2014/12/07/public-meeting-but-when/ )

and a staggering seven-and-a-half months since the Kempton Park cat was let out of the bag by the men from A2D on 8 July:

( see https://keepkemptongreen.com/2014/07/10/mr-concrete/ )

there is to be a public meeting on Tuesday 3 February 2015, to “clarify issues and misunderstandings relating to Kempton Park”. (see your invitation, Document 90 attached).

At that 8 July meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Evans demanded “a statement from, certainly from the Chief Executive of this Council, and probably from the Leader of this Council, that they are unaware of this, or they are aware, one or the other …”.

“This”, in the context of the rather heated discussion, meant proposals by the Jockey Club to build on Green Belt at Kempton Park. What we got instead was a statement from the Head of Planning, answering a different – much narrower – question: What did the Council know about Redrow’s involvement in this wider proposal by The Jockey Club? This whole extended exchange about Kempton Park, lasting more than ten minutes, was completely absent from the published minutes of the meeting.

KKG complained. The minutes were amended to include some of what was said, and it was agreed, on September 10, that the Chief Executive and Leader would provide a statement “as a matter of urgency”. As you will be beginning to understand, time moves in a different dimension at Knowle Green when they want it to. A “matter of urgency” turned out to mean four weeks.

And even then we weren’t finished. The Leader, Councillor Watts, claimed to have read about Redrow’s involvement in a publication of the Institution of Civil Engineers. It turned out there was no such mention of Redrow in any issues of that publication. So the joint statement was reissued on 11 November, saying Councillor Watts had just “read about it”.

It turned out this too was incorrect. Despite exhaustive searches and enquiries, nothing could be found in the public domain which mentioned Redrow’s involvement. Redrow and The Jockey Club also denied, in terms, that there had ever been anything published about it.

And now there is this 3 February “public information event”. Doors open at 6:15, with information boards and Council staff on hand. A Q&A session will start at 7pm. Please submit your questions in advance to Kempton@spelthorne.gov.uk by 23 January and/or bring them along to the meeting. Come one, come all. This Kempton Park development concerns everyone who lives round here, whether in Spelthorne or not. Please book your place at the same email address, or just turn up on the night.

Oh, and finally, consider Document 89, attached. It is an email circulated at Knowle Green on 24 December. Particularly the final paragraph:

“The structure of the event is being worked on and the benefits and disadvantages of having it facilitated by an impartial person are being investigated. We shall be considering a range of potential chairs and a decision – taken with the involvement of the Sunbury East councillors – will be made in the first weeks of January.”

Well, there was only one way that question of impartiality was going to go, was there not. The Chair will be none other than Roberto Tambini, Chief Executive and the person with most questions to answer.

Funny, that.

Thanks to all those who have signed the petition over the Christmas break. If you have not yet signed, please go to

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/keepkemptongreen

or follow the links at http://www.keepkemptongreen.com

 

Kind regards
Keep Kempton Green

 

 

KKG – Document 88a KKG – Document 88b

Dear Neighbour

Whenever a planning application comes up for consideration, residents in this Borough almost inevitably object on the grounds of overburdened local infrastructure – be it overcrowded schools, under-resourced health facilities, lack of parking, or semi-permanent traffic jams. And just as inevitably, the answer comes down from the great and the good at Knowle Green: “These are not planning matters – the resources will follow the people.”

As a result, developers have been allowed to get away with murder. A new health centre was promised as part of the London Irish development. Has anyone seen it? We haven’t. No doubt other developers will promise one in future. And then renege.

The planners on both sides always blame someone else, never provide a solution, constantly hide behind some not-quite-apt clause or other in planning guidance. The developers cry poverty and keep their contributions to the community to the absolute minimum. And the central government authorities close their eyes and put their hands over their ears.

If ever an example were needed of how specious this line of reasoning is – and there are plenty of examples – then you need go no further than the articles in the Daily Mail, and the first issue of the new edition of the Surrey Advertiser, just before Christmas. See Document 88a attached.

“The Queue That Shames Britain” is the Daily Mail headline, referring to the scandal that is the Sunbury Health Centre. And just in case you think this is journalistic exaggeration, see Document 88b, which is the Autumn newsletter from the Health Centre itself.

It is abundantly clear that resources do not, in fact, follow the people. There is a technical term for this line of argument:

Tosh.

Don’t get us wrong. This is not an impoverished area of the country – even if it is the most impoverished Borough in Surrey. This problem is not ours alone. But even Parliament recognises the severity of this problem countrywide. The recently released (18 December 2014) report by the Parliamentary Select Committee for Communities and Local Government on the National Planning Policy Framework says the following:

“The committee made a number of recommendations to change the NPPF including requiring that environmental and social aspects of development proposals be given the same weight as economic aspects, and that permission be granted for development only if the necessary infrastructure was included.”

One of our neighbours, whose judgement we value, often says that to make a point in public matters you have to say it seven times. It seems that that is an underestimate. More like 70, or 700. But it needs to keep being said, until our lords and masters do something about it.

Never mind shaming Britain. It’s not the fault of those people queuing outside Sunbury Health Centre. It’s not the fault of the staff who work there. Specifically, it is the Queue That Shames Everyone in Authority, not least the planning system and the planners who run it.

 

Thanks to all those who have signed the petition over the Christmas break. If you have not yet signed, please go to

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/keepkemptongreen

or follow the links at http://www.keepkemptongreen.com

Kind regards

Keep Kempton Green