Does Shepway District Council belong in the Rotten Borough section of Private Eye, when it comes to Princes Parade?
On Wednesday (Tomorrow) 6th April 2016 SDC Resources Committee controlled by a Conservative Majority will convene at the Civic Centre at 7pm
On the Agenda at Points 7 & 8 the public will once again be excluded. These points are with regard to Princes Parade and the new leisure complex SDC wish to build there SDC’s it seems wish to abuse the law by using paragraph3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (LGA) which states
‘Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).’ ‘Financial or business affairs includes contemplated as well as current activities’
Now when SDC went to print there were no ‘commercially sensitive matters’, which involved a third party, to be considered. Within hours and possibly discussing things with the third party who have given SDC planning advice regarding the leisure complex on Princes Parade, SDC suddenly changed there minds and decided to exclude the public.
It is our belief and many others, SDC can’t pull this trick as the LGA 1972, schedule 12A, clause 9 states:
‘Information is not exempt information if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to regulation 3 of the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1992’
So in short the exemption must not relate to a proposed development for which the council may grant itself planning permission.
We at Shepwayvox, like many others believe that SDC have acted ultra vires (beyond their powers) when considering whether the public should be excluded from the meeting on Wednesday 6th April at 7pm.
SDC abuse of the LGA 1972 and the Local Government Finance Act 1972 is getting beyond a joke. This is public money which has been used to pay for the planning advice, therefore it IS in the public interest to know what advice we are getting, as it probably costs us a pretty penny or two.
Alistair Stewart (58) (below)
who has applied for 6 jobs since 2011 and many more prior to this, doesn’t care for Shepway as he lives in Scotterthorpe Lincolnshire. Perhaps now that he is eligible to collect his full pension he might consider stepping down and allowing a local to take over his position, one who particularly cares for our district and believes in transparency and accountability unlike Mr Stewart.
