Otterpool Park Update: Ten Cllrs Champion High Quality Outcomes for Reuben Brothers & Council

Ten district Cllrs from all parties met behind closed doors at the inaugural Otterpool Park Working Group (OPWG), on the 7th Oct 2019. They were there to discuss  how they can achieve “high quality outcomes” and become “champions” for the joint venture Otterpool Park development, among other matters.

Prior to the local election in May, the Folkestone & Hythe Labour Party declared position was “No to Otterpool Park“. Now Cllr Ray Field and Cllr Connor McConville are part of the OPWG acting as part of an informal body in challenging the project to ensure “high quality outcomes.” and “champion” the development

The same goes for the Folkestone & Hythe Lib Dems, Cllr Tim Prater & Cllr Garry Fuller, whose local party also said “No to Otterpool Park“. They too are part of the OPWG, an informal body in challenging the project to ensure “high quality outcomes” and “champion” the development.

And the Shepway Green Party prior to the local election said: “Shepway Green Party is opposed to the proposed Otterpool Garden Village development“, But Cllr Jim Martin and Cllr Lesley Whybrow still got involved in assisting the sustainability of the OPWG meeting behind closed doors on Monday 7th Oct 2019.

As for UKIP and the Independent, there’s little if anything to say because their new shepherd has made it clear Otterpool Park is a case of ‘profit before people‘.

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Although no vote on planning permission has happened yet, the above ten Cllrs have become facilitators for the Reubens Brothers, Imon & David, company Cozumel Estates Limited, based in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands, and will ensure high quality outcomes and “champion” the Otterpool Park development.

• The most important feature of a tax haven – and it is a defining one – is that local politics is captured by financial services interests (or sometimes criminals, and sometimes both), and meaningful opposition to the offshore business model has been eliminated.

Prior to their election all opposition parties championed NO, but now they are elected well…

Cozumel Estates is the other half of the developer who wish to build up to 10,000 homes along with Folkestone & Hythe District Council at Otterpool Park.

Because Cozumel Estates Ltd is based offshore, the Council needed a guarantor onshore for its development partner. The Reuben Brothers put forward Investors In Private Capital Ltd who have donated nearly one million pounds to the Conservative Party, according to the electoral commission.

Let’s not forget, Investors in Private Capital Ltd, the guarantor for Cozumel Estates Ltd – the Council’s joint venture partner, is owned by Omaha Business Holdings Corp, based in the British Virgin Islands.

Labour’s national position on tax avoidance according to their Shadow Chancellor “would make it easier to jail advisers who enable tax avoidance.” Would this stretch to Cllrs who champion offshore companies in delivering high quality outcomes? Let’s hope so.

The Green Party position on tax avoidance means they would “crack down heavily on tax havens and other methods of tax evasion and avoidance“. Would they too crack down on Cllrs who assist offshore companies such as Cozumel Estates Ltd?

The Lib Dems national position is they too would “crack down on corporate tax avoidance“, Well seeing is believing.

We find local opposition Cllrs in the room enabling the Otterpool Park project to move forward to deliver “high quality outcomes” and “champion”, not just the Council’s objectives, but those of the Reuben Brothers offshore company – Cozumel Estates Ltd – as well.

Funny how election promises change once elected.

The Shepwayvox Team

Dissent is NOT a Crime