Moving on, a £1.25 million cash injection has been awarded to Folkestone & Hythe District Council from the Ministry of Housing Community & Local Goverment Capacity Building Fund, which will help the councils prepare plans for the Otterpool Park development. This was announced yesterday 13th February 2019.
The latest £1.25 million means that the Otterpool Park development has received government funding to the tune of £2.831 million.
Cllr David Monk leader of the Council said this is “fantastic news“. The Council’s partners, The Reuben Brothers, owners of Cozumel Estates Ltd BVI, have not released any comment.
This is not the only development.
The Council have awarded a £90,000 contract to BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited. whose ultimate owner is BNP Paribas SA The contract is for: “Ongoing commercial advice to the council (acting in its capacity as landowner / developer) during the preparation, negotiation and establishment of a JV or equivalent entity and procurement of development partner(s).”
The contract was awarded on the 15 Jan 2019 and began on the 4th Feb and will run to 3rd Feb 2020.
We know the land which is the racecourse is in the process of having an easement attached to to it. An easement is “best typified as a right of way – a footpath/s. It was lodged by Macfarlanes LLP for and on behalf of the Reuben Brothers company Cozumel Estates Ltd BVI, who ultimately own the racecourse. This was registered with the land registry yesterday 12 Feb.
According to Kent County Council’s map of rights of way across the land their appear to be two rights of way which run across the land.
It is no wonder that campaigners who oppose the development of Otterpool Park “feel abused“, especially when so much is kept from them by both the Council and their bed partner Cozumel Estates Ltd BVI.
The Council’s timeline is slipping on Otterpool Park. Firstly they wished to lodge the planning application before Christmas 2018, this slipped to Jan 2019 and now the Council “will submit an application in the spring of 2019″, after a planning inspector investigates the Council’s Core strategy. This though cannot happen until the Core Strategy consultation which started on the 25 January 2019, closes at 17:00 on 11 March 2019. Meaning you still have time to comment.
Finally, it is twenty years ago this year the local Conservative party took the reins of power at our Council. It started with Cllr Rory Love as leader and Cllr David Monk as his deputy.
It is time for a change, a time to improve on the local ruling Conservative Party and their delight in hiding behind closed doors, discussing matters which will cost us all, including our children and grandchildren. It is time for other local political parties and independents to step up to the plate and challenge them in the the forthcoming local elections in May 2019.
