The latest excuse (in a list of previous excuses) for delay at the last Extraordinary Council Meeting, for a further “pause” in the Examinaton in Public of the Local Plan,was:
“Extend thepause in the Examination timetable until the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework have been published (expected in the autumn) before determining the next steps and take immediate legal advice to confirm the validity of the minister’s directive”
And just how is that threat of a Judicial Review of the Minister’s intervention going? Paramount Chief Sexton, two days ago, blamed any delay in taking the Minister to court on the Minister herself: “I am waiting for a reply from the Minister to my letter.”
To the Council Offices in Knowle Green last evening (25 October) for the first pow-wow between residents’ associations and the new Sexton Paramount Chieftaincy. Sat next to her was her deputy, Little Chief Running Horse.
At one stage the discussion turned to the topic of predatory development – a topic of much interest these days as the Borough flounders with no valid Local Plan, raising the severe risk that sites in the Borough – whether Green Belt of Brownfield, large or small – will be prey to predatory development, or planning-by-appeal.
Little Chief Running Horse said:
“Last week the Planning Committee considered the Running Horse application [where a developer wishes to build a retirement complex on Green Belt – our comment]. I can assure you that the Local Plan has nothing to do with that application.”
We beg to differ, Little Chief. As we and others pointed out last evening, predatory development, or planning-by-appeal, takes place at a higher tribunal, when, if the Borough Planning Committee refuses an application, the developer takes it on Appeal to an Inspector citing the lack of a valid Local Plan, and therefore the inability of the Council to prove a five-year supply of land. It is no use hiding behind the Borough Planning Committee. It hasn’t happened yet for the Running Horse site, but we wouldn’t bet against it.
And the reason we say that is because the developer threatens to do it in their application.
which is publicly available on the Council’s website. This is a document written by one of the developer’s consultants and submitted as part of the application. You will find it illuminating reading, not least the following paragraph 1.3 which we reproduce here for your convenience:
Dear Little Chief, you are a member of the Planning Committee, and should really have read the application documents before making a decision on it. You really need to up your game and provide better answers than you did.
As promised, below is the second follow-up letter from the Minister to the Leader of the Council.
We understand that the Council’s response to this second letter from the Minister will be sent to the Minister tomorrow, and published at the same time.
Keep Kempton Green 