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Petition signatures now stand at 13308......:ok:
Actually make that 13341 - another 33 were added whilst I was typing this... |
14126 people have now signed the petition....
Latest from the Wealden District Council website: http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...rnet/zxzxz.jpg 10 February 2009 Joe Townsend Planning Application Statement This joint statement is issued by Mr David Carter 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. However, this case has raised a number of deep concerns over national policy and I shall be writing 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". |
However, this case has raised a number of deep concerns over national policy and I shall be writing 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". Gordo! Over to you. |
PP, El Gordo has already released a statement effectively telling Wealden District Council to think again:
"The whole country owes Joe huge gratitude for the sacrifice he's made for our country. It's unacceptable that he is being stopped from having the home of his choice. Wealden District Council must do the right thing immediately and reconsider this case." 'It was not considered that the specific needs of the applicant or their family constitute an overriding justification for a new dwelling in this location as an exception to the usual countryside restraint policies' Petition now stands at 14727 signatures. |
I confess I missed that second quote BEags and I think you may well be right.
However, one councillor stated that he is "determined" to see this application through "by the end of this week" so maybe there is light. |
Oh dear. Both BEagle and PPrune Pop show a certain ignorance of planning matters.
Yes Wealden District Council is a majority Conservative Council, however if you look at the agenda of the planning meeting where this application went to committee with a planning officer's recommendation for refusal the wording and report is ALL made by planning officers who are paid employees. That includes the second quote. They are there to implement Government planning policy and as WDC have rightly pointed out if Brown wants to get into the act he should change planning policy to allow those who have been wounded serving their country to get around current planning restrictions. Councillors are NOT allowed to interfere and try and influence planning officers in coming to their decisions. If they do not like the decision a planning officer is going to make then any district councillor can insist it goes to Committee where they can try and get other councillors to change a recommendation whether for a refusal or for granting. I refer you to my post#50 of the 1st Feb. Long before any petitions were mooted and well before Brown tried to make political capital out of this I said that because of the publicity, thanks to the Sun and their readers and perhaps by the likes even of BEagle :D and others writing direct to Wealden Council, that the way forward was for a new application to be made with a few changes to allow all to save face and approve a new application and clearly that is EXACTLY what is now happening. |
Just to play devil's advocate......
A rich person has a lump of Green belt land,for which he requires building consent. He "buys" the services of a disabled ex-forces member,to front an application.......the planners are unlikely to be able to make building conditional on the applicant's lifetime sole occupancy...even if they tried, what if constant attendance were needed? demolish it?-don't think so!....what when he / she dies? I, personally feel that an isolated pitch on the edge of the village is NOT the best site for Joe to reside (unless he marries/his parents succed his grandparents in occupancyof the main bungalow.....that's what he and his family want,he should get it. as pointed out, they DO have discretionary powers....just some local jobsworth thought they'd flex their muscles (hope they are top of redundancy list)...shame the councillors didn't point out to Jobsworth that they were a PUBLIC SERVANT and should act accordingly. laws have exceptions, Brown is head of Gov't therefore head of lawmaking (presumably next to the Sovereign) therefore he has the authority to grant an exception. matter COULD have been referred to, and voted by Parliament....less than 5 minutes to show our armed forces that their sacrifices ARE respected. |
..new application to be made with a few changes to allow all to save face.. |
Cockney Steve
Good post because you and I both know that if law changed it would be abused very quickly. Council should have used its discretion, they didn't and getting their A5535 handed to them on a plate is just desserts. If you make exceptions then next it would be poor photogenic unfortunate child with tears in eyes who falls just outside this criteria and then something else. Law changes in haste are generally bad laws. Take emotion out of this and let it be decided on its merits and there was always option of appeal to Secretary of State if amended planning application was turned down a second time. Perhaps council should have referred it earlier so getting away from the emotional hostility. |
Were they not supposed to announce the decision today?
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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. |
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The last news release on Wealden District Council's website about Joe's application was dated 10 Feb 2009 and is the same as I posted on 101609Feb2009.
Currently waiting for Yooftube to download the videoclip - it's running at a glacial speed on so-called 'Broadband' at the moment. Has there been any official announcement? |
Marine offered free building work
From the BBC:
An injured marine fighting to build a specially-designed bungalow has been inundated by tradesmen offering to work for free, says his family. Joe Townsend, 20, who lost his legs in Afghanistan, wants to build the house on land in East Sussex owned by his grandfather David Carter. Wealden District Council rejected the proposals, calling them "intrusive" but will consider revised plans next month. Mr Carter, 70, said his grandson was over the moon with the offers. Approval expected The council's planning committee voted by a slim majority to reject the planned building, incorporating a bathroom and carers' room, on land at his grandparents' home in Hankham Hall Road in Pevensey, near Eastbourne. Gordon Brown intervened after the case was taken up by the Noel's HQ programme on Sky1, telling the show that the council "must do the right thing immediately and reconsider this case". The Tory-controlled council said it had originally been willing to discuss a revised proposal. A new application has been submitted and is expected to be formally approved at a planning committee meeting next month, said Mr Townsend's grandfather. Mr Carter said: "So many people have come forward offering their help. We have got a whole load of tradesmen offering to work for free on it, including plasterers, tilers and builders. All of them have come forward wanting to do their bit." Mr Carter said his grandson was "over the moon" by the public reaction, adding: "He is already on the internet looking for tiles and other things to go in the home. It's keeping him going." Mr Townsend, who lost one leg completely and one below the knee when he stepped on a landmine has had several operations and rehabilitation at Headley Court in Surrey. |
A revised planning application WD/2009/0382 has been recommended for approval by the planning officers and will be put to the Councillors at the DCS committee on the 5th March where no doubt it will be rubber stamped for approval.Whilst any member of the public can attend this meeting I do not think it necessary for BEagle to attend:D
There will be a S106 non severance planning obligation attached so that this new property remains as "ancillary" to the main one. This could cause problems in years to come. PS I will go to the meeting in Hailsham and report back that day to confirm that planning has been approved which I am sure will be the case. It starts at 10am. |
I have just returned from the DCS planning committee meeting in Hailsham where this revised application was approved. This was brought to committee before the legal 28 day consultation period has expired so in theory if a huge number of objections suddenly appeared it would have to go back to committee but that is highly unlikely given the public outcry.
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Thank you for that, and for taking the time to attend the meeting. Doing that gives it a credence it would otherwise not have had - if you see what I mean.
Go for it Grandad and Joe - loadsa people ready to help big time. Good luck and very best wishes. |
Although riding on the back of...................!!!
I got this today, as many thousands would have done, which gives this sorry tale a happy ending. A tale that should never have gone to a fight. As many others have. Mne-Townsend - epetition response | Number10.gov.uk PPRuNe wishes Joe Townsend a very comfortable, full and happy life. God bless. |
I should thimk so to!
CS:ok: |
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