Grrrr Words fail me..........Happy ending for Joe Townsend
 

:mad:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ed-Marine.html

Perhaps we take up a collection to sent the council to Afghanistan for an extended "fam visit".:mad:

Disgrace!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

Tell you what, if he painted himself black, spoke with a foreign accent.....Watch them come round & fit pretty much anything he wanted.

This is disappointing and a desperate situation for this young guy and his family. However, emotive though the matter is, it will have been decided purely in line with the Council’s policies on land use.

Although the press report doesn’t make this too clear, it looks like the situation is fairly rural and the Council’s policies will exist to try and preserve this as far as possible.

Whilst not wishing to minimise the sacrifice this guy and his family have made, and will continue to make, it should be borne in mind that planning regulations must treat everyone fairly. There are many situations where families might like to make a special case for building a house where otherwise one would not be considered. We may think of the parents of a special needs child who wish to provide for an independent life as it grows older. Alternatively we may think of children with elderly parents who may feel better if they lived closer as their years advanced. Furthermore, there are many people incapacitated by road or industrial accidents, all of whom would love to make a special case for homes where ones would otherwise not be permitted. Added to that there are just simple chancers, and I say that mindful of the original subject of this post, Marine Townsend, whom I mean absolutely no ill will towards by that comment. Unfortunately planning history is littered is littered with just such chancers who, having been able to make a plausible case for a dream home in the countryside, promptly sell it on, sometimes without even having built it, just merely selling the plot of land with its planning consent.

Anyway, that’s my tuppence worth. As I say, a desperately sad situation and my comments in no way are intended to detract for the situation the Marine and his family are in. I speak also as someone who from my early teens to late twenties had a large responsibility (along with my widowed Mother) for a kid brother left paraplegic due to medical negligence.

Feel free to flame me if you wish

Says it all, doesn't it? (:*!)

The refusal of planning permission is stated in this document:

http://www.wealden.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000303/M00002500/AI00022812/$082516.docA.ps.pdf

Para 6 only lists the telephone numbers of the 'team leader' and 'case officer' involved. Uniquely amongst the posted list of councillors, Councillor Ms Barby Dashwood-Hall, the chairman of the development control south sub-committee, declines to provide any contact details....... Although it would appear to be [email protected] from a cached source.

The Sun today reports:

Perhaps e-mails in support of Hazel Blears should be sent to Ms B Dashwood-Hall at the e-mail address listed for her in the Hellingly Parish Council website - with an apology for using a private e-mail address, since her official Wealden District Council e-mail address is, curiously, currently missing?

Or you could write:

Ms,Dashwood-Hall,Barby,,The Priest House,Church Lane,,,BN274HA,Hellingly,Hailsham,East Sussex

Gents,

I rather think this has gone beyond the good Councillors now. In essence they have made their decision and that is that.

The applicants now have two possible courses of action open to them. The most feasible is to Appeal the Council's decision to the Planning Inspectorate.

The second is to generate a bit of a head of steam and simply re-submit their application, hoping for a more favourable decision from the Councillors second time around. North of the Border, where I write, an applicant can re-submit any time within twelve months without having to pay another application fee but I wouldn't know if that's the same in England & Wales.

I feel another campaign coming on, anyone remember Mole Valley District Council & Headley Court in July 2006?

Regards to one and all.

PN, the disadvantage of writing is that you cannot copy your letter to your local MP and to the Communities Secretary [email protected] quite so easily.

The Sun seems to have got a good head of steam up over this issue - and quite rightly so too!

Please get off your high horses and write to the Mail - not here. Your wailing and hand-wringing is tedious. I bet you NIMBYs would have objected if it threatened the ambience of your country residences. Other options that are equally suitable have not yet been explored.

I have every sympathy for the injured RM, but you lot getting all in a tizz about a single planning application is just sad.

I think it's called 'being supportive'? If the Communities Secretary feels moved to comment that “Heroes deserve much better than this”, I feel it far from unreasonable that servicemen and ex-servicemen should also feel moved to comment. Hardly 'sad', I would suggest.

Anyway, my e-mail to Cllr Dashwood-Hall addresses hasn't been bounced, so I guess that both addresses were correct.

Thanks Mr C, that was kind of my point, put somewhat more directly if I may say!

Refused Application
 

From a mere colonial lad from Down under. Those responsible for the welfare of the injured Royal Marine should be supporting him in his endeavours to have a suitable place to reside, in fact, they should bloody well provide it for him. Sometimes the rules can and should be bent, especially in this case where it is reported that none of the neighbors raised any objection to the proposed construction. Again, shiny arsed pen pushers rule it seems. :ugh:

alwayslookingup & Mr C

Agree that writing here is going to change, but um, is that pretty much like every other post on the internet.

As for you guys, heres hoping you life a long, without ever having to live in a government run home catering for younger people with such issues. I have had a mate in a similar situation, and he was placing in a nursing home, becuase those sorts of facilities just don't exist in any great number for younger people.The fact that he has family willing to build him a place and look after him, is an exception.

Farkin councils and public servants, I think a David Brent quote sums them all up best,

"Process and Procedure are the last hiding place of people without the wit and wisdom to do their job properly."

Chineheap & co, I live in one of the most expensive little villages in the country; I would be happy to see this Marine move in nearby ( 'next door' doesn't really exist in our case, but same applies if it did ).

I would regard the presence of real people like him and his supporters a distinct improvement over chinless property developers etc.

It seems despite being a listed area, one can add extensions etc to the back of one's house, mostly circa 1600's, as long as one knows the right member of the council / golf course / hunt ( pass me that gatling gun ).

They say a society may be judged by the way it treats its' elders ( UK fails miserably on that too ) - same applies to how it treats those who have given their all for their country.

The Ghurkas are another point which springs to mind.

'Shiny arsed pen-pushers' like to think they rule; it's up to us to convince them otherwise - am mailing the council address given.

I have the misfortune to live in the Wealden District Council area and have had dealings with both the Planning and Conservation Departments and without doubt they are the most awkward unreasonable people to deal with. God help you if you have a Listed house in this area as the Conservation Dept have to be seen to be believed.

The planning application is WD/2008/2516 which will come up with full details if you google it.

Wealden website is Wealden District Council homepage

Thegypsy ( God I hope you're not one, they're the only group I would happily exclude from this planet, let alone a county ! )...

I wonder if the council would treat you the same if you knew the right person socially, don't know about Wealden - but am getting the idea - I lived in Somerset for a while and it is fair to say it is run by the masons - members I knew could get away with anything short of being caught at a murder scene...

I was unfortunately with some at a meal one evening, some of the guests had travelled over 20 miles in thick fog to get there, then drank away to their fill.

When I expressed my concern over what if they A, crashed, B, were stopped by the police, the answer was " Oh, we needn't worry about that one "...

I have mailed Ms Dashwood-Hall and Parliament, not holding my breath for a reply.

I hope Joe Townsend is reading all this...

The thing that gets to more than anything is that we can allow enormous great mosques and God-knows what else (pardon the pun) for 'the minorites, and yet when it comes to looking after one of our own, we're faced with beaurocatric rubbish from the likes of Ms Dashwood-Hall, or Barbie to her friends.
Just about sums things up really, a council run by a Barbie (doll)

Shame on you and shame on the whole council at Wealdon. Your decision is nothing short of a national disgrace.

Mr Townsend, you have my utmost sympathy. If you ever want to move up to the great land of Geordies, we will welcome you with open arms Sir, and I guarantee you won't ever have to buy another beer for yourself!!

Best wishes to you.
The Winco

Winco

Just for the record this application went to committee with a refusal recommendation by the planning officers of Wealden. Councillors could have overturned this and approved it if they were so minded to do so and the DCS have in the past gone against planning officer's views but on this occasion failed to do so.Cllr Dashwood could have given some leadership here but clearly failed to see the merits of the application.

Double Zero Wealden do not like gypsy applications on fields and always refuse them but more often than not are overruled on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate due to the PC attitude here these days.No I am not one but have felt like one over the years and share your views.:D

Double Zero,

Not only slander of every honest person who works in Local Government planning but Racism as well. I suggest you be careful of your outrageous comments on a public forum. My wife works in planning and is scrupulously honest and does her job without fear or favour.

And just for the record, disability is not a planning issue. Getting p*ssed off at planners for not doing what you want because they just can't is like asking your plumber to give an opinion on a problem with your electrics and getting mad at him because he can't.


MODS: Please do something about this.

Doc C.