A lot of emails and communications to deal with today. Lots of issues. The Neighbourhood Plan for Headcorn is ready to submit...wonderful. Some problems at the Parish Council, theres no clerk! Seemed to spend hours on the phone with Parish Councillors, local people and informed interests. Its raining, that means drainage issues usually!
I have a meeting with a Liberal member of the Transport Sub Group, we went to Croydon together,we get on well, we are both a bit maverick! So we meet a Transport consultant in the afternoon and tour the Town and its pinch points and examine the flows of traffic (to Headcorn) and all over the Borough.
I quickly meet the Chair of Planning and discuss some serious issues.
We go to OSC Planning and Transport from 6 ish to 10pm . Some of us discuss matters informally over a drink afterwards! We all have agendas! It was an across party social evening and we reached some common ground, far better than meeting in the Town hall. If I had met in previous "life" then I am sure some political opponents would have been dear friends! Common ground on issues NOT overall policy though!
I had to challenge the Special consultant during the evidence gathering session at the Scrutiny meeting. Why have the already submitted Neighbourhood Plans not been seriously responded to? Well his answer was that they were not fit for purpose! I found that staggering. As the person that went through the process to set up the Headcorn Neighbourhood Plan/NP funding and the conditions to fulfil to progress the Plan with nominated expert guidance, then how can the expert guidance that was offered to any other NP be so incompetent? I cannot believe members of the Royal Town Planning Institute give out useless advice. Or does this prove that the interpretations of any Local Plan and the law of the National Planning Policy Framework are actually so different from one expert to another? That worries me.
4th November..... I meet another Parish Council about some common issues regarding flooding and drainage. I don't know enough about my new role on the Drainage Board yet, but theres clearly more issues to raise and lobby about.
5th November East Sutton Parish Council with some issues to discuss, very important ones. They could set precedents in rural matters throughout the Borough; 1) living and "joint" working units 2) homes in rural settings. Planners oppose both,I support SOME IN certain circumstances with certain considerations.
Key issues I believe. I dont want loads of builds for any reason but proper businesses in the Rural areas need good workers and well built "nice designs" in MINIMAL developments could and should be acceptable IN SOME cases. 2-5 Houses HERE are being denied, whilst 270 Houses THERE seem to be accepted in my LOCALITY. If Localism means anything, surely my opinion as a Ward member counts for something? I am not a NIMBY opposing all! There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL!
But surely I have a view that should be given more consideration and that "Planning Law" and its MANY interpretations should consider the voice of the Locality?
The trouble is I am only 1 in 55 and I am not on the Planning Committee.
I have a meeting with a Liberal member of the Transport Sub Group, we went to Croydon together,we get on well, we are both a bit maverick! So we meet a Transport consultant in the afternoon and tour the Town and its pinch points and examine the flows of traffic (to Headcorn) and all over the Borough.
I quickly meet the Chair of Planning and discuss some serious issues.
We go to OSC Planning and Transport from 6 ish to 10pm . Some of us discuss matters informally over a drink afterwards! We all have agendas! It was an across party social evening and we reached some common ground, far better than meeting in the Town hall. If I had met in previous "life" then I am sure some political opponents would have been dear friends! Common ground on issues NOT overall policy though!
I had to challenge the Special consultant during the evidence gathering session at the Scrutiny meeting. Why have the already submitted Neighbourhood Plans not been seriously responded to? Well his answer was that they were not fit for purpose! I found that staggering. As the person that went through the process to set up the Headcorn Neighbourhood Plan/NP funding and the conditions to fulfil to progress the Plan with nominated expert guidance, then how can the expert guidance that was offered to any other NP be so incompetent? I cannot believe members of the Royal Town Planning Institute give out useless advice. Or does this prove that the interpretations of any Local Plan and the law of the National Planning Policy Framework are actually so different from one expert to another? That worries me.
4th November..... I meet another Parish Council about some common issues regarding flooding and drainage. I don't know enough about my new role on the Drainage Board yet, but theres clearly more issues to raise and lobby about.
5th November East Sutton Parish Council with some issues to discuss, very important ones. They could set precedents in rural matters throughout the Borough; 1) living and "joint" working units 2) homes in rural settings. Planners oppose both,I support SOME IN certain circumstances with certain considerations.
Key issues I believe. I dont want loads of builds for any reason but proper businesses in the Rural areas need good workers and well built "nice designs" in MINIMAL developments could and should be acceptable IN SOME cases. 2-5 Houses HERE are being denied, whilst 270 Houses THERE seem to be accepted in my LOCALITY. If Localism means anything, surely my opinion as a Ward member counts for something? I am not a NIMBY opposing all! There is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL!
But surely I have a view that should be given more consideration and that "Planning Law" and its MANY interpretations should consider the voice of the Locality?
The trouble is I am only 1 in 55 and I am not on the Planning Committee.
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