This was received this p.m.
This Council has received an unprecedented number of enquiries regarding the planning application for Royal Marine Joe Townsend. We are doing our best to reply to everyone.
The original proposal for the erection of a new bungalow was out side of the development boundary and would have been intrusive and be in direct conflict with existing policies to restrain building in rural areas.
Whilst this Council is fully committed to providing help and assistance to representatives of all our armed forces who have been injured in the service of this Country, we also have a duty to balance any proposals for new development with the strongly held wishes of the community in Wealden to protect our rural environment.
Our elected councillors and officers have made it clear throughout that they were prepared to discuss options with the applicants to secure independent local accommodation for Joe. This fact has not always been widely reported. A meeting was arranged for 10 February.
After that meeting, a joint statement was issued by Mr David Carter, the applicant, and Wealden District Council in relation to the planning application for a bungalow for Marine Joe Townsend.
"A scheme has now been agreed in principle which planning officers consider is supportable.
Mr Carter, who is Joe's grandfather, will now submit a new application. Mr Carter said "We have had a fruitful discussion and I am optimistic that the scheme will meet Joe's needs and will receive a fair hearing. I am grateful to the Council for being open to a new approach".
Councillor Pam Doodes, Leader of Wealden District Council said "We have been anxious to resolve this difficult issue from the start and are glad that a solution has been identified."
This case has raised a number of deep concerns over national policy. The Leader of the Council has written to the Prime Minister urging him to issue further Government guidance on the provision that local authorities make for servicemen and women disabled in the service of their country.
We are expecting to receive the necessary application as soon as it has been prepared by Mr Carter's agent, and we will be doing everything we can to give full consideration to the proposals as early as possible.