Build Now, Pay Later.
“May one be pardon’d and retain the offence? In the corrupted currents of this world,
Offence’s gilded hand may shove by justice, And oft is seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law.” (Hamlet act 3, sc. 3)
Does something stink here?
On 30 August 2012 a planning application was submitted (ref Y12/0838/SH ) to Shepway District Council by MrQuinn of Quinn Estates in Canterbury to develop Eversley College and Eversley Lodge on Coolinge Lane in Folkestone to build 23 apartments with garages and to build 18 two and three storey dwellings and to take over part of the local school playing fields to build the development.
This was refused by the Council on 21 December 2012. On the 28 February 2013 the same applicant, Mr Quinn, made another planning application (ref Y13/0175/SH ) to Shepway District Council to build on the same land an identical 23 apartments with garages to the previously refused application and to build 17 two and three storey dwellings and to take part of the local school playing fields to build the development.
This went to ShepwayDistrict Council Development Control Committee on 14 May 2013 (http://www.shepway.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=118&MId=2469&Ver=4) and was passed with all the Tory Cllrs voting for and the one opposition member voting against (recorded in the minutes) as residents said that the plans had not really changed from the previous consultation and development proposal when it was refused by the Council amongst other things.
The multi-million pound development went ahead built by Quinn Estates Limited, Landcap Estates Eversley Ltd and Pentland Homes – see the attached brochure and links
http://pentlandhomes.co.uk/index.php route=development/view&development_id=15#content andhttp://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/folkestone/eversley-park/ which
shows the 17 properties sold for around the £600,000 mark each (over £10 million in total) and then the college part was up for sale at £2 million at
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16897596.html
After all this getting planning permission thanks to the local Tories despite opposition and objections, according to Electoral Commission records which have just been released see links below
Landcap Eversley Development Ltd donated £3000 on the 09/04/15
it appears that the developers Landcap Estates Eversley Ltd based in London gave £3,000 to Folkestoneand Hythe Conservatives on 9 April 2015 and then the other developer Quinn Estates Limited based in Canterbury gave £9,000 to Folkestone and HytheConservatives on 20 May 2015.
So the local Folkestone and Hythe Conservatives benefited to the tune of £12,000 from two companies based outside of the area to develop land which had previously been refused by Shepway District Council and was then suddenly passed by the Tories on the planning committee who subsequently received a massive donation for letting through a multi million pound development for their friends. This was at a time when they were getting short of funds (and needed financial promises) before they sold their premises in West Cliff Gardens and rented it back according to their accounts lodged with the Electoral Commission.
Make of it what you will, but something probably stinks!
“Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we’re tired of hearing promises that we know they’ll never keep.” Ray Davies
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