It was inevitable. Planning application Y14/0300/SH Shorncliffe Garrison passed at the Development Control Committee on the 24th March 2015. I doubted if the Council would vote against it – and they did not disappoint – as they do not have the money for a lengthy legal battle. But I do believe there is either a accident waiting to happen, or shit will hit the fan.
So the development known as Shorncliffee Garrison Y14/0300/SH got the go ahead. Anyway, it would not matter if Taylor Wimpey would have lost last night as they only have to wait another two years before they can put in exactly the same plan.
In every country in the EU local people who disagree with a council’s decision to approve a development can use the planning system to object to it. In Britain by contrast, only developers can appeal against a council’s decision.
Mr Lewis made it very clear that the threat of appeal would be expensive for the council. Developers find that the threat of going to appeal is often enough to persuade a local council to cave in and grant planning permission. All this took 3 hours when we already know the decision was made long long ago. But what about the people who will live on the new estate, they will have to cope with the bridge – and its lack of “technical Data” – and its potential dangers for how long? Until somebody possibly dies god forbid.
Another matter which was ignored by the planning committee was the foul sewage system. Southern Water and Folkestone Town Council along with the South Cheriton Action Group, raised serious concerns. Southern Water in their letter to Shepway District Council said:
Ibelieve the shit will come to hit the fan at a later date on this matter as you cannot continue building developments without updating/upgrading the sewage system. When it does happen it will be the newly ensconced residents who will have to deal with it.
Do SDC take the people of Folkestone and Cheriton to be fools? It certainly seems so after the 3 hour pantomime they put on at the Civic Hall on the 24/3/15
