Busy Lib Dems

March

28

10 comments

We were very busy last night:

Build 8 flats , Pearsons Avenue , Rayleigh . Jackie was very quick to ask to speak on this application last night, and spoke strongly for refusal – it was out of keeping with the surrounding area, it would have a bad impact on neighbours, and the density was against council policy. Car parking was too close to neighbours. Chris Black followed in support, and disagreed completely with how the officers were using density figures. (He quoted the government document we wrote about yesterday). Please note other councillors , such as Joan Mockford and Colin Seagers, also opposed.

End result – application was refused.


Two signs at Asda in Rawreth Lane. Someof the councillors felt that one sign was sufficient here, Chris Black was concerned about getting a proliferation of signs from various businesses all along Rawreth Lane. Chris moved refusal, but it was passed.

138 Downhall Road Rayleigh – conversion into flats. Ron Oatham moved refusal , because the garden size was 12 1/2 % below our minimum standard. Officers said it was only ‘marginally’ below. Chris Black said that if his salary was cut by 12 1/2 % he wouldn’t call it marginal. Ron pushed it to a vote – and it was refused.

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  • Now there is a surprise – ASDA getting exactly what they want. Wonder how long it’ll be before we get that 24 hour shopping and petrol station?

  • How is it that large companies can do what they want, then submit planning application for the proposal. If a man on the street carried out the same procedure it would be refused and the demolition team would be in operation the next day.
    Doesn’t seem fair to me but is it the same old thing that money speaks louder than words?

  • Big companies know how to use the planning system. Often people on, for example, traveller sites do as well.

    The man in the street normally doesn’t. Neither does , say, the young woman with a beauty salon….

  • The problem is there Chris, that local councils let them get away with it! Perhaps if planning applications were submitted when they were supposed to be submitted, then retrospective planning would become a thing of the past.

    I would be interested to know what the reason was for passing the application for signs, especially when of the reasons for rejecting the application was in the interest of road safety as these were being seen as a distraction.

  • Just a thought. With the recession beginning to bite and the last 100% mortgage being withdrawn (by the Halifax, I believe) do we still have to build the amount of houses the Government has decreed? The market valuation of most big residential developers is on a downward spiral and with lots of jobs going, in the City and from other professions, is it prudent to build hundreds/thousands of homes which will not be sold! Developers will not be interested in building in places where they cannot maximum their profit potential.
    Either this will be a good thing for local youngsters, who maybe able to afford a local home or disaster with houses not being priced correctly and not being sold!

  • At the end of the day, if houses continue to be built and ultimately are not sold, recession or not, builders will have to lower the prices of those properies to ensure a sale, knock in effect is prices of resale properties will fall also. This is not a good time to sell. A house over the road to mine has been on the market for a year now, is on the market for £359,000 (Wimpeys were marketting those houses at £399,000) and had its first viewer in 8 months last weekend. Certainly ASDA have played a large part in the lack of viewers, but this is a fine example of a slump in the market. ALSO, when our house was on the market, no viewers and only one person calling the agent to enquire in 7 weeks, we were told by the estate agent that there was no interest in four bedroom properties in Rayleigh at the moment.

    With it being harder for people to get a mortgage at the moment, and those that are available carrying higher inerest rates that a year or two ago, people will not want to move unless they can move the mortgage and retain their old interest rate, or move and risk paying the same mortgage for a smaller property. Newly built houses will ultimately sit idle. As have half the houses at Quest End!

  • I doubt if the housing slump will give the council leeway in cutting the overall housing numbers up to 2021 or so (but you never know)

    But it could well affect the phasing. Might even give time to get the amenities and infrastructure right first….

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