“A Sunny Place For Shady People”
Exclusive:
Shepway District Councillors and officers will be in attendance at MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) in March 2018. It is an international property event hosted in Cannes, on the French Riviera, each March. It is hosted by Reed MIDEM and includes an exhibition area, networking events and conference sessions over a period of 4 days.
This event is where estate agency professionals and wealthy investors cavort around five-star hotels and champagne receptions in the sunshine, while ruminating about the housing crisis many of them benefit from directly.
“You meet some people who are involved in things that feel dodgy,”
In 2018 MIPIM will be held over four days – 13 – 16th March on the French Riveria in Cannes, and elected members of Shepway District Council and Officers will be in attendance no doubt.
According to Report C-17-29 at Para 6.4 SDC Cabinet (Wed 19th July 5pm agenda item 12) will discuss and endorse:
“Attendance at MIPIM in 2018, working with Locate in Kent, has been supported by the Leader (Cllr David Drury Monk pictured) – further consideration will be given to how working with Department of International Trade on MIPIM can be used to best advantage to promote Otterpool Park. Endorsement is therefore sought from Cabinet for SDC’s attendance at MIPIM Cannes in 2018 and for officers to work on the detail with Locate in Kent and potentially also with DIT on this event. As CMT Contingency is already in the budget framework there is no requirement for Cabinet to approve this spend.”
The costs for this visit to Cannes is presently €1,310 per person. In pounds that is £1,150 at the present moment. Of course, that does not include Hotel, food and other expenses.
So the purpose of this visit according to the document released by SDC is to potentially select partners to deliver the site and the council’s landowner partner Cozumel Estates Limited has agreed that this is something worth pursuing.
In March 2017 the then housing minister, Gavin (3 Kettles) Barwell, pictured at MIPIM 2017, the “booze and hookers fest” which doubles as the world’s largest gathering of property speculators and developers; who gave the green light for Otterpool Park to go ahead, told the world’s housebuilders that if they could not find enough land on which to build new homes they could “come and see me” and he will try to help.
Barwell told developers at the world’s biggest property conference in Cannes that he wanted to be “clear and unequivocal” that he was there to help them build hundreds of thousands of new homes to help fix the UK’s housing crisis.
Finally, Cllr Monk, who has just received a 15% pay rise as a KCC elected member, will at least have a place to spend that £1920 pay increase as he will at last get the opportunity to rub shoulders with, “Shady people in Sunny Places,” come March 2018.
The Shepwayvox Team – No hedge funds or Barons.
The “Report C-17-29 at Para 6.4 SDC Cabinet (Wed 19th July 5pm agenda item 12)” makes me wonder what else Councillor “Oink” has got lined up for this area bearing in mind that Otterpool Park would appear to be almost dun and dusted.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/hythe/news/councillors-back-business-trip-to-129188/
“Council leader Cllr David Monk (Con) **Check the meaning of “Con”** who will attend alongside one officer, said the networking and conferences at the event next March is “the place to go” to encourage businesses to invest.
But an investigation by the Independent at last year’s conference in London found the conference was “a non-stop party” according to one attendee while another said he was “on a yacht with some investors” within hours of arriving.
A council spokesman said no costs have been worked out yet adding that attending was “a unique opportunity” that would “bring major benefits for minimal financial outlay”.
“A council spokesman said attending the conference will allow SDC to “promote Otterpool Park to significant and potential investors in the residential and commercial property markets”.
They added: “We are acutely aware of ensuring that we secure value for money from this event. Costs will be kept to a minimum as we will be joining with Locate in Kent as it promotes the county to international investor markets.”