I have noticed recently that there has been a considerable reluctance to keep the tdc planning website up to date and I am having to publish documents that should be appearing there.With the China Gateway application the environment agency’s recommendations and conditions have still not appeared on the tdc planning website although they were sent to tdc over a month ago.
When I added my comments to the site I discovered that unlike other councils tdc had opted to hide comments and objections.
I have now published yet another important document that should be available for everyone with an interest in the application to view, it is the objection from the Protection of Rural England click here to read it
Michael, as far as I am aware any objections or letters of support are available for perusal at the council offices. That includes emails. I do not know why these are not available on line, and will check on monday.
ReplyDeleteI do wish that everyone knows of all comments
But its a well know fact that the CPRE are a bunch of full blown NIMBY's who object to everything unless a developer is offering gazillions of pounds to tdevelope their particular country estate!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ken I have sent you more detail by email, it would seem pretty obvious that all the documents in the planning folder that are in the public domain should appear on the planning website, particularly in the case of very big developments like Pleasurama and the China Gateway. If it is going to take some time for this to happen could you see that the big developments are done first as this will maximise the time saved by council officers and therefore the expense to us.
ReplyDelete16.17 I had heard something of that sort myself and was surprised how well reasoned and comprehensive their objection was, personally I don’t live near the thing so what it looks like doesn’t effect me that much, however the threat to our drinking water and the prospect of greatly increased water bills does, so I have very much concentrated on that aspect. You wouldn’t think there would much trouble getting over the basic message now learnt in the most backward developing countries i.e. don’t dig the toilet near the well, if you live in Thanet in the simplest terms the Chinese want to dig their toilet by your well, I wonder how you feel about that?
ReplyDeleteThey have a right to keep things secret as some people might be terrorists.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong to put our hard working councillors under pressure. You should respect them for being selfless and serving our lovely Isle.
Sister Mary, Westgate-On-Sea, Thanet, Kent.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteThe letters of objection and support will be available on line shortly.
The delay is that at present all our stuff to go on the web site is sent to glasgow, where it is scanned in. We now have a new piece of kit that will enable us to do it in thanet. When the staff are trained it will start to appear
Thanks Ken, I would like some sort of time scale on this though, the Pleasurama planning file hasn’t been updated online since September 2005 although I know several documents have been added to it since.
ReplyDeleteI know Glasgow is a long way away but nearly 3 years seems excessive even by local government to get documents published on the web.
Sister Mary I was once a member of an Anglican competitive order meaning I sometimes take the aesthetic approach, as Saint Augustine said a wise man can be reasoned with but a fool should be beaten immediately. So sorry to any councillors who feel under pressure it’s just the way I was brung up.
ReplyDeleteand goes with the territory. If you stand for public office you have to take the brickbats as well as the compliments. This bunch at TDC ride roughshod over any idea that we, the public, might know what we are talking about. Their consultations are a joke. In Broadstairs they asked residents whether they would like yellow lines to deter cars being parked outside their houses. Pierremont Avenue voted,'No, thank you' but the council went ahead. Residents were told,'We know you voted against as most of you haven't got anywhere to park off-road, but we're going ahead anyway 'cos that's what we've decided.'
ReplyDelete12.36 I think the problem here is that the system is failing us, the idea of local democracy was that we elect councillors to ensure that the council officers do what the electorate want.
ReplyDeleteBut the system has evolved in a way that makes this practically impossible, what I find most bizarre is that the majority of councillors and council officers I know are pleasant competent people with the interests if Thanet at heart.