6 July (Part 2) - The known unknowns
Well that was quick, or was it?. A planning application on the Council’s
website (18/03247/FULM03 44 Erith High Street) dated 4th May 2023 includes a
reference to a building start date of 30th November 2021 (18 months earlier) and completion last
March. Was the application really that retrospective? Who knows? I suspect I must have missed
something but the permission letter dated 30th June 2023 and addressed to a Mr. Singh approves everything
proposed - or should I say already built? - just as you might imagine and with no reference to it being a revision of
an older approved plan. Weird.
I suspect someone will soon tell me where I have gone wrong.
Simpler to understand is 23/01508/FUL which refers to site of The Drayman public house
in Crook Log, (Closed
in 2009 following drug misuse.) That application makes it clear that it is retrospective for a
scheme started ten whole years ago! Three additional flats requested by yet
another Mr. Singh.
There is remarkably little useful information on either planning application. I
suppose that is one stage short of suppressing publication altogether
as happened last month.
Bexley Council may not be bent but it would like you to think it is.
Earlier
today BiB referred
to the Heron Hill Hell Hole which reminds me that I was sent some
news, or maybe it is tittle-tattle, about it a little while ago.
It was not especially complimentary towards the role played in Ye Olde Leather
Bottle saga by Belvedere Councillor Daniel Francis. Maybe not entirely fair
because the Tories take very little notice of what Labour Councillors say and both Daniel and I worked with the Health & Safety Executive
providing evidence that led
to the successful prosecution of Mr. Singh’s company.
However the main complaint was against Singh’s associates in Bexley Council.
The allegation - which is news to me - is that they fined Singh a paltry
£6,000 for demolishing the Bottle while other boroughs in identical
circumstances had enforced reconstruction.
The 2017 plan to build houses on the site probably fell by the wayside
because of the affordable housing requirements and with the government grants
available a care home can become a relatively risk free cash cow.
Approval for a 70 bed care home was given in November 2020. So far only a
sick fox has taken up residence.
