There’s an item at Rochford DC on planning enforcement tomorrow night. It deals with how many breaches of the planning rules need to be investigated. There are hundreds of cases to deal with!
As the report says:
The current caseload stands at 408 open cases, including 13 category A, 31 category B and 364 category C cases. Members will recall that category A cases comprise the most serious breaches of planning control and that most attention is therefore focused on their resolution.
Full details here
It really does go to show how out of date the council is – I noted that there is a planning breach at Park School – erm do they not know that Park School vacated the site many years ago, and has been a housing estate for 2 and a half years. It’s high time that RDC actually stated either Priory Chase or Temple Way, and stopped living in the past!
What I will be interested in knowing is how many of those breaches are ASDA related. Have written many letters/emails over the past 8 months sice ASDA opened, and spent 5 weeks with CCTV equipment in my bedroom filming the comings and goings of ASDA lorries. We actually have heard nothing back from RDC on what action they have taken – obviously none!
On a side note, while I think of it – it’s the responsibility of ASDA to complete the roadlaying in Priory Chase – the longer they leave it unmade, the longer it will take before RDC adopt the road, which means the longer ASDA have in leaving their lorries parked up on Priory Chase. No wonder there is no hurry on the side of ASDA to complete their legal obligation. It’s about time RDC took control of this situation and forced ASDA to get their act together and get the road laid.
This is absurd, how can a Council Planning Department function (or not function) in this way. It is bad enough not knowing how many dwellings are being built at any one time in the district but to add insult into injury, having that many enforcement cases open is beyond belief. Builders and other people who contravene regulations know that it is unlikely that they will be made to put right where they have ignored regulations. Did the Leader of the Council of Rochford not know how badly the department is being run? Did the Councillor aligned to the Planning department not tell the leader or did the planning department not tell anyone about the backlog. Residents taxes are going down the drain here, I am not satisfied with the performance of the Planning department and I suspect other residents will not be happy. It is about time the leader of the council got hold of this department and brought them into the REAL WORLD. For gods sake are they under resourced or what.
Corey,
I think this goes one better than what you have stated. I have just copied the following directly from the RDC public access site. You will see from the last two lines that the former Park school site is still classified as Agricultural Land.
This classification is well out of date as are many others if you delve into them.
Selected Property: Former Park School Rawreth Lane Rayleigh Essex
Property Address Constraints Related Info Notices View Property on Map
Property Address
Full Address: Former Park School Rawreth Lane Rayleigh Essex
UPRN:
Property Name:
Street Name:
Locality:
Town Name:
Ward: Councillor Details…Councillor Details…
Parish:
Address status:
Official Address?:
Current Address?:
Constraints
There is one constraint associated with this property.
There may be constraints associated with this property that can not be displayed. Please contact Rochford District Council for more information.
Constraint Name Constraint Type Constraint Description
1 Agricultural Land Classification ALC Grade 3
………. and I can see at least three majore residential planning breaches from my study window as I sit here and type!! Pity nothing every gets done about them either.
One rule for some and one rule for others??
KO
Xx
………. and I can see at least three major residential planning breaches from my study window as I sit here and type!! Pity nothing every gets done about them either.
One rule for some and one rule for others??
KO
Xx
Chris, Did you get any feedback from the RDC meeting, specifically regarding the planning enforcements backlog?
Mike, I had to leave the meeting to go to work just before this item came up. But there was no discussion, the report was just noted.
Having the item come up at the end of a lengthy meeting probably wasn’t ideal.
Chris, do you know yet when the next West Area meeting is due. I would like to put a few questions to the Committee regarding the backlog.
Current schedule (as per the council website) is as follows, but this may change:
Date Time Venue
12/06/2008 19:30 – The Mill Arts and Events Centre, Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh
17/09/2008 19:30 – Grove Wood Primary School, Rayleigh
25/11/2008 19:30 – Edward Francis Junior School, Rayleigh
12/03/2009 19:30 – Rawreth Village Hall, Rawreth
Is there any reason why they should change the venues for 2008/09? last years venues seemed very adequate, or maybe it was the memory of some awkward times! The venues may change but the questions wont get any easier.