I Promise to tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth. Part 2
shepwayvox
Cllr David Drury Monk has given an interview to The Looker, which was published on the 22nd June 2016. On Page 2o Cllr David Drury Monk states:
‘I am really excited by this proposal [Garden Village where up to 12,000 homes could be built], but there are some who think there has been a smokescreen around this.We bought Otterpool Manor Farm before Christmas (2015) as a strategic purchase. We had no plans for the site other than a tenanted farming operation to earn some income, but we had to take advantage of the Government’s offer to help with future development.’ The land was bought for £5.23 million.
However, what Cllr David Drury Monk fails to understand is that SDC received a proposal from Andrew Lainton in March 2015. Mr Lainton a professionally qualified town planning and regeneration consultant states:
‘I welcome that Shepway Council has accepted my proposal from March of last year that around Sellindge in Kent was an excellent location for a Garden City.‘
Is our beloved leader of the Democratic People’s Republic Of Shepway, Cllr David Drury Monk suggesting or implying that he and SDC had no knowledge of Mr Lainton’s proposal back in March 2015?
Is our beloved leader of the Democratic People’s Republic Of Shepway (pictured) saying that his employees – Council Officers – withheld this proposal from him?
Our public face submitted an FOI to SDC’s Information Officer requesting the proposal Mr Lainton suggested to them. The response was ‘We do not hold this information.’
Now the word proposal is a noun and has three meanings which are:
Now not for one minute do we believe it is option three. However, option one and two fit perfectly.
So, who is telling the truth? Mr Lainton, or our beloved leader of the Democratic People’s Republic Of Shepway?
You can contact Mr Lainton, who is currently the Urban Planning Advisor to The Government of Bahrain at – andrew.lainton@btopenworld.com or phone him on +971 569 328 775
You can contact Cllr David Drury Monk at – david.monk@shepway.gov.uk or via his PA on 01303 853345
The Overview & Scrutiny Committee will discuss the Otterpool Park development behind closed doors [Public & Press to be excluded] on the 28th June at 7pm in the Council Chamber.
We note with interest that SDC are to enter into a planning collaboration agreement with the owners of Folkestone Racecourse [The Reuben Brothersbelow] to regulate the working arrangements between the parties as land owners and promoters with an objective of securing a suitable outline planning permission for a new garden town.
The Reuben Brothers and/or family members have been very large financial donors to the Conservative Party for a substantial number of years.
In July 2008, it emerged that the brothers had donated £186,000 to the Conservatives through six different companies [powerbase.info]
In 2011 they donated £222,500 via Investors in Private Capital, a company owned by the billionaire Reuben brothers [The Guardian Tuesday 8 February 2011 22.00 GMT]
At the Conservative Summer Party 2013 according to the Table Plan, Simon Reuben sat at the same table as The Prime Minister, it is not known what what was discussed. [thebureauinvestigates.com – October 12, 2014]
The billionaire property investors David and Simon Reuben have been linked to £46,000 in donations received by Zac Goldsmith – failed bid to be Mayor of London – The Guardian]
We have said it before and we will say it again. The Reuben Brothers are not businessmen who buy a pig in a poke.
Who is driving this whole project?
The Reuben Brothers or Conservative led SDC?
And do you think SDC’sexpression of interestsubmission to the Dept of Communities and Local Government will be successful?
