Neighbours war with wounded soldiers families
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Well people!! I have been breaking my back to get on to the site since I arrived back from Dorking this a.m. only to be dragged off for a little light retail therapy by OC Household. 
Just got back home and read through all the thread from when I left yesterday afternoon. Even though I was there it makes a bl**dy good read. The ending is fantastic.
I don’t really have much more to say than has already been posted apart from reiterating what an honour it was to meet the guys from HC who had turned out to support, heroes every one.
I can’t think of a more fitting name for the facility than Norton House, particularly after Wondermum’s gritty performance, absolutely awesome and extremely moving.
I think we do need to build bridges in the local community. Tigs, brilliant idea about the flowers. I’m up for it when it happens.
As far as the post event social was concerned it was fantastic to put faces to names at last. I personally thought we should have all shot off to 36 Grays Lane for a Barbie and a garden disco!!!
What’s next? Well there’s the petitions for Military Hospitals and the rights of G
Gurkhas to come to the UK to live. Ours is still going at 46,197 when I posted this!!!
Considering I had s*d all to say I’ve waffled on a bit.
Regards to one and all – bring the next one on!
Per Ardua
Just got back home and read through all the thread from when I left yesterday afternoon. Even though I was there it makes a bl**dy good read. The ending is fantastic.
I don’t really have much more to say than has already been posted apart from reiterating what an honour it was to meet the guys from HC who had turned out to support, heroes every one.
I can’t think of a more fitting name for the facility than Norton House, particularly after Wondermum’s gritty performance, absolutely awesome and extremely moving.
I think we do need to build bridges in the local community. Tigs, brilliant idea about the flowers. I’m up for it when it happens.
As far as the post event social was concerned it was fantastic to put faces to names at last. I personally thought we should have all shot off to 36 Grays Lane for a Barbie and a garden disco!!!
What’s next? Well there’s the petitions for Military Hospitals and the rights of G
Gurkhas to come to the UK to live. Ours is still going at 46,197 when I posted this!!!
Considering I had s*d all to say I’ve waffled on a bit.
Regards to one and all – bring the next one on!
Per Ardua
I am led to believe that another possible name being bandied about for the house is
FIRKHAM HALL
I was dined out of the RAF Regt on Monday night after 24 years of gassing members of the RAF and more recently talking to aircrew in an impolite fashion.
Getting involved in my last couple of weeks, on the periphery as one of the leafleters and being able to meet the movers and shakers at Dorking has confirmed my belief that there are is an abundance of people in HM Armed Forces and members of the public who care enough to put their heads firmly above the parapet. I thank you all.
It was a pleasure to put names to faces and I too will wear my newly acquired PPRUNE wings with pride.
Per Ardua
ss
Ladies and gentleman who sorted this out, well done
FIRKHAM HALL
I was dined out of the RAF Regt on Monday night after 24 years of gassing members of the RAF and more recently talking to aircrew in an impolite fashion.
Getting involved in my last couple of weeks, on the periphery as one of the leafleters and being able to meet the movers and shakers at Dorking has confirmed my belief that there are is an abundance of people in HM Armed Forces and members of the public who care enough to put their heads firmly above the parapet. I thank you all.
It was a pleasure to put names to faces and I too will wear my newly acquired PPRUNE wings with pride.
Per Ardua
ss
Ladies and gentleman who sorted this out, well done
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Rocket Chucker, yes still climbing at 100+ per hour. Interesting.
Nice to keep that graph going. Mean to say, only another 150k military personnel to go.
Nice to keep that graph going. Mean to say, only another 150k military personnel to go.
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Graduated from HC in 67 (boring sports injury) but so proud at the outcome. Was involved in a similar planning dispute last year, ironically on the other side, objecting to a montrous development of 61 (!) luxury apartments on the site of 3 fine Edwardian houses in our road, so I can see this from both sides, but was still disgusted with the local resistance, especially as no demolition or hassle was to be involved. We won on appeal by the way, and I learned a lot about the weird and wonderful ways of planning law. WELL DONE SSAFA
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shavian
We won on appeal by the way
It would appear that things have changed however if the following is correct.
According to:-
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...892034763.html
"Only the person who made the application for planning permission can appeal."
So the residents will be unable to appeal against the decision made last night.
It would appear that things have changed however if the following is correct.
According to:-
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...892034763.html
"Only the person who made the application for planning permission can appeal."
So the residents will be unable to appeal against the decision made last night.
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Been a bit busy with broken people up hills. but I gather SSAFA won.
Mike, well done in bringing PPrune onside the ARRSE campaign.
ARRSE.
You are marvellous.
Do you want us to pass the exact co-orsd to the mud movers?
Great day.
Sven
Mike, well done in bringing PPrune onside the ARRSE campaign.
ARRSE.
You are marvellous.
Do you want us to pass the exact co-orsd to the mud movers?
Great day.
Sven
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There is an "Op NIMBY" polo shirt being discussed over on ARRSE - about £25 per shirt (details page 14 of thread), with a significant % to SSAFA.
(Edited for poor grammar)
First chance to post since hearing it on the midnight news when I got in last night. Excellent news!! Well done everyone!!!
All I seem to get on the webcast is the councillors speaking. What about the other people?
All I seem to get on the webcast is the councillors speaking. What about the other people?
RCT/O - The shirt was planned as a fund-raising mechanism before the hearing, and hasn't come about as some sort of post-event gloating item.
The original post (made a full 24 hrs prior to the council meeting) has been edited more than once, and while I can see why the impression that it's meant to rub the residents' noses in it might arise from reading what's there now, that's emphatically not the intent behind it. The overwhelming sentiment on other threads on the subject on t'other means is quite clear that magnanimity is the order of the day.
The original post (made a full 24 hrs prior to the council meeting) has been edited more than once, and while I can see why the impression that it's meant to rub the residents' noses in it might arise from reading what's there now, that's emphatically not the intent behind it. The overwhelming sentiment on other threads on the subject on t'other means is quite clear that magnanimity is the order of the day.
All I seem to get on the webcast is the councillors speaking. What about the other people?
I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our own very special "WonderMum". The very raw emotion that she showed, despite trying her best to overcome it, was the most moving part of the hearing. It is the voices of those who have had their world turned upside down by losing their loved ones or having them return severely injured or disabled that brings the real moral authority of what we have tried to do here. The amazing courage shown by WonderMum, Chappie, Kam, Tapper's Dad and others is simply humbling. You all inspire the rest of us to keep trying for what is right. With your continued involvement we shall go on doing just that!
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I am as delighted as anyone, but bluidy disgusted to hear on BBC news this morning " the accomodation block was approved " & later on I think ( was busy ) ITV 1 " the hostel "...
Exactly the points so well proven wrong, but now thoughtlessly trotted out after the non-efforts of ' researchers wiv a degree in meeja studies '.
Can't help thinking this either needs to be kept an eye on in future - generally - or a bit of a chat to the media, without starting a whole campaign just now !
----Of anyone out there reading, anyone, has any event you know the real side of ever been presented correctly ?
I'm not supposed to be anti media, but in this context I damn well am !
Exactly the points so well proven wrong, but now thoughtlessly trotted out after the non-efforts of ' researchers wiv a degree in meeja studies '.
Can't help thinking this either needs to be kept an eye on in future - generally - or a bit of a chat to the media, without starting a whole campaign just now !
----Of anyone out there reading, anyone, has any event you know the real side of ever been presented correctly ?
I'm not supposed to be anti media, but in this context I damn well am !
Chugs, you make an extremely good point.
Moral authority is indeed set by these heroes, and to be associated with them, even peripherally, is a huge privilege.
airsound
It is the voices of those who have had their world turned upside down by losing their loved ones or having them return severely injured or disabled that brings the real moral authority of what we have tried to do here. The amazing courage shown by WonderMum, Chappie, Kam, Tapper's Dad and others is simply humbling.
airsound
And so it comes to pass.
I refer to my previous posts on the subject, in particular 242, 263 & 289. I decided to keep quiet in the lead up to the meeting as I felt I’d said all I needed to at the time. However, if I’d been a betting man I’d think there’d have been a better than even chance of the application going through on the night. Certainly, if it had come before me as an elected representative I would have passed it with some very pointed comments on the propriety of the planner who had presented me with this report on this application with this recommendation.
I understand the recommendation was changed from refuse to grant with conditions. That in itself was a complete cop out. If it satisfied the conditions for a temporary period then, by definition, it satisfied them for all time.
But what of Ms Westphal, the Council planner who’s unilateral rewriting of Policy Env22 to suit whatever ends she had in mind caused the furore in the first place? How convenient for her to be on holiday on the day of the meeting. One trusts that on her return she will have the civvie equivalent of a caps-on interview with her line manager. Granted this was a very unique set of circumstances, unlikely to ever occur again and it was the objectors who caused the controversy with their representations. Nonetheless, this whole sorry episode has cast Mole Valley Council in a very sad light and I’d hope the chief executive and his or her senior management team will be putting in place some kind of procedure to ensure this never happens to them again.
And why, do we ask, did Ms Westphal make the recommendation in the first place? A thought occurs. Do you have a Freedom of Information Act in South Britain? We do up here. If so, could I suggest someone writes to the Chief Exec of MVC requesting a copy of all correspondence from Ms Westphal re 36 Grays Lane. If that came out it could be illuminating.
Finally, for now, this time next year there’ll be a house in Grays Lane with people staying there from time to time. And guess what, they’ll do exactly as every other person who lives there does. They’ll probably go to the shops, play with their children in the garden, have a summer barbie, take a walk on Sundays to buy a paper, have a chat with anyone else they meet on the path. The one difference for these people is that their lives will have been affected by a cruel and vicious cataclysm that they volunteered for but that was not of their own making. They and their loved ones will have been terrible victims of man’s ability for cruelty that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the animal kingdom. One trusts that their time in Grays Lane will help move them down the long path they are talking back to some sort of normality. One hopes that in time the residents of Grays Lane, and others, will find it in their hearts to put this all behind them and be big enough to help them on that journey. Henri Dunnant, who founded the Red Cross after witnessing the horror of the battle of Salferino in the Crimean War, said, "Everyone is responsible to everyone else, for everything." I quite like that. Maybe the world would be a better place if a few other people took it on board.
I refer to my previous posts on the subject, in particular 242, 263 & 289. I decided to keep quiet in the lead up to the meeting as I felt I’d said all I needed to at the time. However, if I’d been a betting man I’d think there’d have been a better than even chance of the application going through on the night. Certainly, if it had come before me as an elected representative I would have passed it with some very pointed comments on the propriety of the planner who had presented me with this report on this application with this recommendation.
I understand the recommendation was changed from refuse to grant with conditions. That in itself was a complete cop out. If it satisfied the conditions for a temporary period then, by definition, it satisfied them for all time.
But what of Ms Westphal, the Council planner who’s unilateral rewriting of Policy Env22 to suit whatever ends she had in mind caused the furore in the first place? How convenient for her to be on holiday on the day of the meeting. One trusts that on her return she will have the civvie equivalent of a caps-on interview with her line manager. Granted this was a very unique set of circumstances, unlikely to ever occur again and it was the objectors who caused the controversy with their representations. Nonetheless, this whole sorry episode has cast Mole Valley Council in a very sad light and I’d hope the chief executive and his or her senior management team will be putting in place some kind of procedure to ensure this never happens to them again.
And why, do we ask, did Ms Westphal make the recommendation in the first place? A thought occurs. Do you have a Freedom of Information Act in South Britain? We do up here. If so, could I suggest someone writes to the Chief Exec of MVC requesting a copy of all correspondence from Ms Westphal re 36 Grays Lane. If that came out it could be illuminating.
Finally, for now, this time next year there’ll be a house in Grays Lane with people staying there from time to time. And guess what, they’ll do exactly as every other person who lives there does. They’ll probably go to the shops, play with their children in the garden, have a summer barbie, take a walk on Sundays to buy a paper, have a chat with anyone else they meet on the path. The one difference for these people is that their lives will have been affected by a cruel and vicious cataclysm that they volunteered for but that was not of their own making. They and their loved ones will have been terrible victims of man’s ability for cruelty that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the animal kingdom. One trusts that their time in Grays Lane will help move them down the long path they are talking back to some sort of normality. One hopes that in time the residents of Grays Lane, and others, will find it in their hearts to put this all behind them and be big enough to help them on that journey. Henri Dunnant, who founded the Red Cross after witnessing the horror of the battle of Salferino in the Crimean War, said, "Everyone is responsible to everyone else, for everything." I quite like that. Maybe the world would be a better place if a few other people took it on board.
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This is just a feeling, but a very strong one, alwayslookingup. I think you may be being a tad unfair on the delightful Miss Westphal. She was exceedingly helpful to our side and I got the impression she made the original recommendation under orders and even then couldn't bring herself to write that SSAFA's proposal would significantly affect the neighbours' amenity.
The telling bit is the ludicrous 'compromise' recommendation of a 2 year temporary permission "to allow SSAFA time to find somewhere else!" (NIMBY writ large) which was dreamed up while she was absent. It seems the paid officials of MVDC are far more political and swayed by public opinion that the elected politicians!
The telling bit is the ludicrous 'compromise' recommendation of a 2 year temporary permission "to allow SSAFA time to find somewhere else!" (NIMBY writ large) which was dreamed up while she was absent. It seems the paid officials of MVDC are far more political and swayed by public opinion that the elected politicians!
AT, you've actually answered your own point. Ms Westphal and her colleagues are paid officials of MVC and are supposed to be nonpolitical. Their recommendations are supposed to be on policy grounds only. They are salaried employees of the Council. As such their recommendations can be made free of the concern of being re-elected every four years, or whatever term they serve. Granted I am looking at it from a particular point of view, but if it was established that the planners were prevailed upon to make a recommendation they felt was against policy, then they have failed in their duty to their Council, their elected members and the electorate. Just a thought.
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Always
I think I was stating what I see to be the case, not asking a question.
I don't think she made the original recommendation under orders from a cllr, but from a higher paid official. Perhaps the one that dreamed up the ludicrous compromise recommendation.
I think I was stating what I see to be the case, not asking a question.
I don't think she made the original recommendation under orders from a cllr, but from a higher paid official. Perhaps the one that dreamed up the ludicrous compromise recommendation.