26 April (Part 2) - No need to make it up
I imagine that it may be a minority view but in the
Rogue Developer versus Planning Committee
saga I see the latter as being in by far the most embarrassing position. One
sort of expects developers to use every card they have to advance their position
but a Council’s planning processes should be beyond reproach. In Bexley they
clearly are not. Even a former (?) Tory activist emailed “you couldn’t make it up”.
Various candidates and Councillors including the Planning Vice-Chairman and his wife have
embraced the developers as their friends and political supporters and short of
back-handers they cannot get much worse than that.
Not just any old developers of course but developers who threaten and shove
photographers around and at worst, violently
run them out of town
with the police in pursuit.
The blind eyes turned now come across as some sort of protection racket run by Bexley Council. Why did
it not cooperate with the Health & Safety Executive in connection with
the Leather Bottle
demolition until threatened with legal action?
It wasn’t the first time that the H&SE became involved, there was another when The Woodman
pub was demolished in 2014 (†) and Dhadda Estates earned
an immediate Prohibition Notice for Wharfside Close, Erith only a couple of months ago with
another in Southwark a month earlier. Bexley Tories’ choice of associates leaves a great deal to
be desired and one can understand their addiction to secrecy.
On
that subject I am wondering why I was not immediately welcomed into Electoral
Services when I asked to look at the nomination papers last week.
The Electoral Commission website says “From close of nominations until the day before the poll,
nominations forms and consent to nomination forms that have been delivered are open to inspection
by anyone during normal office hours, and anyone can take a copy of them”.
Perhaps I am getting to be too suspicious of Bexley Council’s motives. Watching
it closely for twelve years takes its toll.
† Removed from H&SE website in 2019 under their five year rule.