tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71966424375527907192024-02-08T04:28:50.281+00:00Ian Driver's ThanetIan Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.comBlogger437125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-22163473922935560722016-11-14T12:40:00.001+00:002016-11-14T12:40:08.110+00:00<br />
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;">RE-DIRECTION </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;">I HAVE MOVED MY BLOG</span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;">HERE IS THE LINK TO THE </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;">UPDADTED VERSION</span></strong></div>
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<a href="http://iandriverthanet.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>http://iandriverthanet.blogspot.co.uk/</strong></span></a><br />
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-16355242392747598772016-11-10T15:38:00.001+00:002016-11-10T19:21:38.171+00:00High Sherrif’s Posse to Raid Dreamland?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Documents<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>published on the Companies House website reveal
that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles Whitbread of the
Whitbread<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brewing family, and the
current High Sherriff of Bedfordshire (<a href="http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council/high-sheriff/charles-whitbread.aspx">http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council/high-sheriff/charles-whitbread.aspx</a>), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>loaned
£500,000 to a company called Southeast Retail Limited in March 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Southeast Retail owns the Sands Hotel in
Margate and one of its directors and part-owners is Nick Connington who is also
a director of Sands Heritage, the operator of the Margate Dreamland Amusement
Park.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The High
Sherriff who is appointed by the Privy Council and acts as the Queen’s
representative in Bedfordshire, has secured his £500,000 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>loan to Southeast Retail by placing a charge
on most <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the Dreamland Amusements Park’s
fairground rides including the Big Wheel <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Cyclone Twist, the Swing Boats and the Helter
Skelter. If the loan is not repaid then the High Sherriff can muster a posse,
mosey on down to Margate and seize the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fairground
rides. And the risk of that possibility looks to be growing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to
Companies House both Sands Hotel Margate Limited and SouthEast Retail have
failed to submit their annual accounts which were deadlined fir submission<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by late September 2016. Almost 2 months after
the deadlines elapsed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and nothing appears
to have been submitted. Late submission of accounts is often seen as a symptom of
a company in financial trouble and Companies House treat late submission extremely
seriously <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>here’s what they say <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Failure
to file confirmation statements, annual returns or accounts is a criminal
offence which can result in directors being fined personally in the criminal
courts. Any criminal proceedings taken as a result of non-filing of
confirmation statements, annual returns or accounts is separate from and in
addition to any late filing penalty imposed against the company for filing
accounts late. The registrar may also take steps to strike the company off the
public record if these documents are delivered late. There is no late filing
penalty imposed on confirmation statements or annual returns that have been
filed late. Failure to pay the late filing penalty can result in enforcement
proceedings”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So the question
is will the High Sherriff of Bedfordshire and his posse be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>riding into town in the near future to seize
his goods? If he does Dreamland will be left without most of its rides, apart
from the Scenic Railway which isn’t working anyway. Yeee haaaa!! Ride them
Dreamland cowboys!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-22989550289689471902016-11-10T11:10:00.000+00:002016-11-10T11:10:40.798+00:00Thanet's Child Poverty Shame
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlAeaV7iXn73RcGFm4bcz9-kzZ7wVgkyEvL7KzaJ3uyGdxPNpIObryO3A7AMvKcRzdUNRdwGI4UO7s5cJ5_P-hCDZvYRs8A_09L1KfHxhsVCMXqHcngoIzWyx182hzs8UF-6IrOetznuV/s1600/childpovertyranked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlAeaV7iXn73RcGFm4bcz9-kzZ7wVgkyEvL7KzaJ3uyGdxPNpIObryO3A7AMvKcRzdUNRdwGI4UO7s5cJ5_P-hCDZvYRs8A_09L1KfHxhsVCMXqHcngoIzWyx182hzs8UF-6IrOetznuV/s640/childpovertyranked.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Thanet Councillor and Citizens Advice Manager, Ian Driver, described as
“deplorable and shameful” news that Thanet has the highest rate of child
poverty in south east England. According to a report produced yesterday <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(8 November) by the Campaign to End Child
Poverty (an organisation made up of more 100 children’s charities, child
welfare organisations, faith groups and trade unions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>), over one third (34.4%) of children in
Thanet are living in poverty. Based on the latest population figures, this equates
to almost 11,500 children up the age of 18. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the highest rate of child poverty out of all of the
67 local government areas in south east England. Hasting was second highest with
a child poverty rate of 32%; Southampton was third with 29.9%; Dover fourth at
29.9%; Shepway fifth <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at 29.4% and Portsmouth
sixth at 28.9%. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The figures show that 18 out of 23 electoral wards in
Thanet have child poverty rates of over 20% indicating the depth and spread of
this problem. The 5 Thanet wards with the highest rates of child poverty are
Cliftonville West 48.49%; Margate Central 47.57%; Newington 43.97% Eastcliff
43.49% Dane Valley 42.98%.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said Driver “these deplorable and shameful statistic should
be a wake-up call to Thanet and Kent County councils and Central Government.
They must work together to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>develop plans
to regenerate Thanet and tackle once and for all the deep seated economic
malaise which has blighted the district for two generations. It’s totally
unacceptable that one third of our children are being brought up in poverty.
Poverty is a well-known cause of educational under achievement and reduced life
chances. Our politicians, civil servants and public services <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cannot stand by and allow 11,500 children to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>futures blighted through no fault of their
own”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He went on say that “Central Government should make
available extra funds for major infrastructure investment in Thanet including
the reduction of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HS1 journey times to
London to less than an hour; the transformation of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate’s port and seafront into a leisure
focused visitor destination with a modern 21<sup>st</sup> century marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also need to support <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the development <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the former Manston Airport site into a
thriving commercial and industrial park and the further expansion and growth of
the ex-Pfizer site at Discovery Park as a home for high-tech companies. Last
but least the Government should designate Thanet as an Enterprise Zone,
allocate funding for several thousands of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>desperately<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>needed affordable rent council homes in the district. These measures
will encourage business to invest in Thanet and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>create<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decent, well paid, paid
jobs Thanet so urgently needs and which will help to reduce and eliminate the
appalling situation of one third of our children living poverty”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-89810427880621531172016-11-09T20:06:00.002+00:002016-11-09T20:46:06.050+00:00Ramsgate Port Industrialisation Outrage Continues<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sZdCKoTFozyM4AYkU7F7V4tXN2-xLAf4Py3PJLNHaguSZwIOg1g6PnrS5ISFvW1xrpK-xpNeS3XJT2KbPDapfS8cjOVJmpwf0OBHvDxWh1ag9E6bvXfb45HJvb6uALVJtaNWRWzkVEaD/s1600/bretts+meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sZdCKoTFozyM4AYkU7F7V4tXN2-xLAf4Py3PJLNHaguSZwIOg1g6PnrS5ISFvW1xrpK-xpNeS3XJT2KbPDapfS8cjOVJmpwf0OBHvDxWh1ag9E6bvXfb45HJvb6uALVJtaNWRWzkVEaD/s640/bretts+meeting.jpg" width="450" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In my last blog
post I wrote about the secrecy and lack of public consultation surrounding the
development of the Ramsgate Maritime Plan under Labour in 2014 and UKIP’s
continuation of this arrogant and undemocratic approach in relation to its plans
to transform the port into a heavily industrialised facility. I warned that industrialisation
of Ramsgate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>port, especially UKIPs plans
for a freight terminal with a capacity of up to 1million HGVs per year and the
expansion of Brett’s aggregate processing and concrete batching operations would
be disastrous for the town. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The risk of damaging
pollution would be high. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The threat to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate’s reviving visitor economy would be
serious and the long-term economic viability of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a freight ferry operation <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>extremely doubtful in view of Dover Harbour’s massive
£200million<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expansion programme <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which begins next year. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Little did I know,
when I was writing the article, that this muddleheaded plan was anything more
than a failed £6 million funding bid to the South East Local Economic Partnership
(SELEP) which would hopefully be cast to one side and forgotten about now that
the powers that be have rejected it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well
it hasn’t been! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just like the mythological
Hydra which sprouts new heads when one is chopped off, the plan to
industrialise Ramsgate Port has come back again – this time in the form of a
document called “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Economic Growth
Strategy for Thanet”</b> produced I am told at a cost of £55,000 by external <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>consultants. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To be discussed
next week at a Cabinet meeting <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by TDCs <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>political leaders, the Economic Strategy includes
a section glamorously described as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transformational Initiatives. </i></b>Top of
this list are proposals for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Developing the Port at Ramsgate.</i></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there is nothing remotely transformational
or glamourous about these proposals. They are no more than a rehash of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labour’s secretly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>developed Maritime Plan of 2014 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and UKIPs failed £6million <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>funding bid which was humiliatingly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rejected by <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the SELEP a couple of months ago. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once again these
discredited proposals for the port are not analysed and tested as to their viability
or sustainability. There is no mention of any market testing or demand analysis
for a RoRo freight ferry service at Ramsgate. Not a word is said about what the
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>environmental and pollution implications
of a freight ferry service and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expanded aggregate/
concrete batching operations <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the port
might have on the town and its protected marine sites. Nor is there any analysis
of how an industrialised port and seafront might impact upon Ramsgate’s visitor
economy and whether or not more jobs will be created or destroyed in the
long-term by embarking upon the proposed changes at Ramsgate Port. And not a
word is said about the massive £200million expansion of Dover Harbour which begins
next year and how competition from Dover and also the new London Gateway Freight
Port on the Thames Estuary <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>might impact
upon ferry services from Ramsgate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last not but
least I was unable to find a single mention of the phrase public consultation
anywhere in the Economic Strategy document. Like Labour before them, TDCs UKIP
leadership appear to be determined to push through badly thought out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plans which are not evidence-based; which haven’t
been properly risk assessed; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which lack economic analysis and which are
hugely unpopular, without any public engagement and without consideration of
any alternative ideas for the future of the port and seafront. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is bad
governance in the extreme. The risk of failure is high and the consequences of
failure for local people would be massive. Pushing these proposals through would
also be grossly hypocritical. As I mentioned before UKIPs 2015 election manifesto
says that the party is committed to bringing more transparency and openness to
local government; that the community is the boss, and that local people will
have more power over planning. Well here we are in the only council in the UK
controlled by UKIP and everything they have promised about being a force for
democratic good has been thrown out the window in order to push <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>through plans for Ramsgate Port which are
economically and environmentally dangerous without any public consultation and
without any discussion of alternatives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just like
Labour the LibDems and the Conservatives, UKIP is firmly part of the political
establishment they falsely claim to be challenging. They lie, cheat, bully and deceive
just like of the rest of them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And like the rest of the political establishment they only listen to themselves, unless of course their seats at the council are threatened by people power</span></span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-16634797806046220312016-11-06T18:16:00.000+00:002016-11-06T20:36:57.698+00:00Ramsgate Port, Brett & Secrecy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sA-x_HV_Pg3QVbM-ql0TLgZAC90DqYZLkpmgr58D5YXJF-j2pCehxygopOV4KeCx8pfX_oa46tWmOw7VfSyL5-Hsx5e_OAaww6uANQgxGeZ9nW7QxjMEFmkZwuSzFOjqvhyFS11tdpRw/s1600/port1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sA-x_HV_Pg3QVbM-ql0TLgZAC90DqYZLkpmgr58D5YXJF-j2pCehxygopOV4KeCx8pfX_oa46tWmOw7VfSyL5-Hsx5e_OAaww6uANQgxGeZ9nW7QxjMEFmkZwuSzFOjqvhyFS11tdpRw/s640/port1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brett
Aggregates’ proposals<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to expand their
activities at Ramsgate Port, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reveal just
how unaccountable, secretive and out of touch our elected councillors and senior
council officials are becoming on matters related<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to planning, environmental protection, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and economic development in Thanet. There is
also a very disturbing pattern of arrogant <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“we know
best” attitudes emerging within Thanet’s political establishment which are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>clearly demonstrated <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in a quote from council leader Chris Wells in
this week’s Thanet Gazette where he says “I make no apology for investing in
the Port of Ramsgate and wanting it to succeed for the benefit of people of
Ramsgate and Thanet as whole”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I agree with Cllr
Wells that there needs to be investment in the port, but had he <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been at Oddfellows Hall on 27<sup>th</sup> October
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he would have realised that the 200 plus
people who attended the packed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public
meeting about Brett Aggregates plans for Ramsgate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>port were vehemently opposed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to his idea of investment in the port, which <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to industrialise
it. Most people disagree with Cllr Wells’ vision of a heavily industrialised
port belching out massive levels of pollution, damaging the health of local
people and threatening <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our protected
marine environments. Most people prefer instead leisure based and traditional maritime
uses of Ramsgate’s seafront. But council leader Wells isn’t listening.
Arrogantly he makes “no apology” for pursuing a policy of environmental destruction
which, if not halted, will surely destroy Ramsgate’s slowly reviving visitor
economy which has massive potential for economic regeneration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sZdCKoTFozyM4AYkU7F7V4tXN2-xLAf4Py3PJLNHaguSZwIOg1g6PnrS5ISFvW1xrpK-xpNeS3XJT2KbPDapfS8cjOVJmpwf0OBHvDxWh1ag9E6bvXfb45HJvb6uALVJtaNWRWzkVEaD/s1600/bretts+meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sZdCKoTFozyM4AYkU7F7V4tXN2-xLAf4Py3PJLNHaguSZwIOg1g6PnrS5ISFvW1xrpK-xpNeS3XJT2KbPDapfS8cjOVJmpwf0OBHvDxWh1ag9E6bvXfb45HJvb6uALVJtaNWRWzkVEaD/s640/bretts+meeting.jpg" width="450" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But to be fair to
Cllr Wells he’s not entirely to blame for pursuing out of touch, and potentially
risky polices for Ramsgate port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He actually
inherited <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>these policies from Thanet Council’s
former Labour administration who developed, in secret and behind closed doors,
plans to heavily industrialise the port. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But instead of choosing, as a new Council
leader with <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a large <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mandate, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to review and consult local people about these
policies he decided to ignore public opinion and accelerate the process of
industrialisation through <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>secretive
efforts to secure Government funding to develop a freight based port with
capacity for up to 1 million HGV lorries per year and an expanded capacity for
aggregate processing and concrete making. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So let’s rewind
and look at how we got to where we are, and how we might be able to undo the
mess we are in. The best place to begin is the Ramsgate Maritime Plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This document was approved by Thanet council’s
then ruling Labour Cabinet on 31 July 2014. Amongst other things the plan says the
port strategy will concentrate on the development <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“of RoRo business with a focus of the
commodity supply chains” which in layman terms means freight, rather than passenger
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ferry services. To support a freight service
the Plan says that the council will explore the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>potential “for a longer term inland
port/port-centric logistics/strategic rail freight interchange”. The Plan goes
on to say that the “port operates an aggregates facility in partnership with
Brett Aggregates. There is scope to handle greater volumes (of aggregate) which
the commercial port will exploit within the region”. So what we have here is a
policy for the port of Ramsgate which was agreed by the previously Labour
controlled council for a freight based port with an expanded capacity for aggregate
processing and associated concrete manufacture. This is precisely the policy which
is now being followed by Council Leader Wells. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this policy
is, in my opinion, democratically illegitimate and contrary to the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wishes of local people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? Well according to a Freedom of
Information request I submitted at the time, Labour-led Thanet Council held
just three consultation events to discuss its Maritime Plan. All of these consultation
events were held in secret behind closed doors <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Council decided who the consultees
would be, with only one person representing the public. It’s hard to believe
that a plan for the future of Ramsgate Port which will have a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>profound <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>impact upon the regeneration and economic
future of the town, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was decided upon, by
a so-called democratic socialist party, in what amounted to be total secrecy. This
cannot be judged, by any criteria, to have been a democratic decision and its not in my opinion legitimate.
Furthermore, in the 2.5 years which have elapsed since this plan was agreed the
O’Regan, and now the Brett proposals, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for potentially polluting concrete and aggregate
related operations at the port have galvanised public opinion in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate strongly against the idea of large
scale aggregate processing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and hundreds
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HGVs at the port. Yet Cllr Wells makes
“no apologies” for pursuing policies which were undemocratically <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decided, which <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nobody
supports and which, with the massive expansion of nearby Dover Harbour beginning
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>next year, makes no economic sense either.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rather than
taking account of these factors and instead of giving careful thought to the
recently published Ramsgate Economic Plan which foresees a visitor based economy
for the town, Cllr Wells has rushed headlong into implementing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labour’s secretly decided, and now massively discredited
plans for an industrialised port. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
just like Labour before him, Cllr Wells, is trying to achieve his aim in
secrecy by sneaking his plans for the port under the radar so that nobody knows
until it’s too late. Through the avenue of the little-known <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then to the even lesser well-known South
East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cllr Wells steered a bid for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£4.17million <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>government funding to industrialise Ramsgate port
including a doubling of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HGV traffic handling
capacity from 500,000 vehicles a year to 1 million; the development of an
alongside quay for unloading greater quantities of aggregates, the building of
a double dekker RoRo Berth and the construction of a freight logistics base
near the former Manston Airport site. Cash strapped Thanet Council <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was happy to top up the Government grant with £2million
– presumably from the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£3million it has
just received from the sale of the freehold of the derelict Ramsgate seafront Pleasurama site. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszVy-4Dy0pgsS89GuBA-ci0nZiWT1e45Edg0hqehw5tLNZwGCd0UhXGAYh39A7rdrCw6idd-Ok0DXHu_Wk3s_nSK7WhphZe-WNNzDGJitpMuEi3Rd0ARX4Xx-d9XIK11SBje9qmw2Bz2T/s1600/meeting28103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszVy-4Dy0pgsS89GuBA-ci0nZiWT1e45Edg0hqehw5tLNZwGCd0UhXGAYh39A7rdrCw6idd-Ok0DXHu_Wk3s_nSK7WhphZe-WNNzDGJitpMuEi3Rd0ARX4Xx-d9XIK11SBje9qmw2Bz2T/s640/meeting28103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as I am
able to tell there was no consultation whatsoever with democratically elected TDC
councillors about this funding bid. The agendas and minutes of the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cabinet, full Council meetings <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Joint Transportation Board for 2015-16
make no mention of the fact that Thanet Council was seeking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a large Government grant to industrialise the
port and that it would need to raid its own massively depleted capital reserves
to the tune of £2million to help to fund this project. Worse still, just like
Labour, Cllr Wells and TDC officers deliberately <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>failed to alert the people of Ramsgate to this
funding application and seek their opinion of whether it was a good thing or
bad thing. There were no press releases. No announcements of the council’s
website. No effort to ask local people <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what they thought <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? because Councillor Wells and top council bosses
knew damn well that if there was a consultation their plans would have been
overwhelmingly rejected. And of course being part of Thanet's elite political
establishment they <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arrogantly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>believe that they know best and you know fuck
all about anything. Just as they knew best with the TransEuropa Ferries £3.4
million secret debt disaster and the ongoing £20million Margate Dreamland
nightmare. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCzk_QYEF_qHIdXOJyqU9uXX5LVb5YT7O7XbzZizRJJ9nBgIuZcABIaiOPCtoxJ9KLKCi5qiqJFGv_UoIHLwiC-G1CB7hyyfX97yIQB3D2HG_zBUGJtVuqk3xnYTJaO4k7XDN0NdTJM97/s1600/meeting2710b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCzk_QYEF_qHIdXOJyqU9uXX5LVb5YT7O7XbzZizRJJ9nBgIuZcABIaiOPCtoxJ9KLKCi5qiqJFGv_UoIHLwiC-G1CB7hyyfX97yIQB3D2HG_zBUGJtVuqk3xnYTJaO4k7XDN0NdTJM97/s640/meeting2710b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fortunately my
sources at the KMEP and the SELEP tell me that TDCs bid for money was a rushed
and badly put together “dogs breakfast” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which
failed to meet <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sufficiently high <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>standards to be included in the final <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>list of funding bids to be put forward to the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Government for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>consideration. They also felt that it was bit
odd for TDC to bidding for money to expand Ramsgate port’s RoRo capacity when,
almost 4 years after the collapse of Trans Europa Ferries, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the council has failed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to attract a new operator and when, less than
20 miles away, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dover Harbour is
undergoing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a £200 million expansion programme
which will massively increase its passenger and freight ferry capacity and
which will out-compete Ramsgate by any imaginable maritime industry standard or measurement.
Sadly Thanet Council, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and presumably
Cllr Wells, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are on record as saying that
they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intend to rework and strengthen their
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bid for the industrialisation of the
port and resubmit it to Government at the earliest opportunity. Which reminds
me of a very interesting paragraph in the Ramsgate Economic Plan which says <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1V9objdvVpsYlNPtjz8IfMCYSAZrihFSAnbg1njgtpjsBwFrt-RWnxes8qtTxyKVwmxc-yVQ9GJn0GJp5WbSPLRPBdb6DpLORzN4dhi_EuIwoGUxgL7KHflaCHk8OQxlSABl36cQc_Yi/s1600/meetingqueue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1V9objdvVpsYlNPtjz8IfMCYSAZrihFSAnbg1njgtpjsBwFrt-RWnxes8qtTxyKVwmxc-yVQ9GJn0GJp5WbSPLRPBdb6DpLORzN4dhi_EuIwoGUxgL7KHflaCHk8OQxlSABl36cQc_Yi/s640/meetingqueue.jpg" width="425" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ramsgate has suffered
several major shifts in its employment opportunities. It was a supplier of
labour to the Kent coalfield and for the myriad of light industrial businesses
that grew up in the post-war period to service these industries and the booming
holiday trade. The port used to have regular ferry services and a Hovercraft facility.
However, many of these sources of employment have waxed and waned or
disappeared completely. Instead of a reallocation of resources there has been a
retrenchment in investment and the local economy has found it difficult to
respond to changing markets and economic circumstances. Ramsgate has been in a
type of mourning for the past; recent failures have instilled something akin to
a fear of change. This could be termed post industrial trauma.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So where do we
go from here? Well the rejection of the bid to Government to industrialise the
port; my exposure of the secretive policy making <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shenanigans <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>surrounding the port; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>changing
public opinion about the port and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how
best it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should be used in future;
coupled with the emergence of new thinking in the Ramsgate Economic Plan, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mean that time and space should be allocated
for a proper democratic discussion about developing a “People’s Plan” for Ramsgate’s port, harbour and
seafront. This report
should be based on the fullest consultation with local people and businesses
and not conducted behind closed doors as Labour did. In fact MP Craig MacKinlay
has already begun to kick start such a discussion with his recently formed regeneration
group. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Engaging in and promoting such a public debate should not be a problem for Thanet Council Leader Cllr
Wells. In 2015 he stood for election on a UKIP Manifesto which says that his
party intends to “<span style="color: #241f1f;">bring more openness, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #241f1f; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">transparency
and cross-party collaborative working” into local government; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that UKIP Councillors “believe the community </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">is their boss” and that UKIP intends to “give
local people control over planning”. Surely these manifesto commitments mean
that Cllr Wells and his UKIP councillor colleagues,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should halt the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>headlong, secretive, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dash to industrialise Ramsgate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Port and begin a genuine dialogue with local
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people about a long-term and sustainable
future their port and seafront. Whatever the outcome of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such a dialogue there is no <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>doubt that Cllr Wells’ credibility will be
hugely strengthened by dropping the secrecy and openly talking with local
people. Come on Chris the ball is in your court. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span>Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-34556490752594110442016-11-03T16:10:00.001+00:002016-11-03T19:10:19.234+00:00Breaking News Dreamland, Arrowgrass, Cayman & Ethics<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9-CygUH4fCpRQf3pTEYG6OoL8OigzRCTRSmWlqckUjFzkxVbt1ceJN3PS_5xPI3m2tvsMi1SSUdsDaI0UwWGlVsrzbtMDwTzkqYa_PJUgOhDgfSo5I6DK72rS6UczDooia-WuKpZ_Fv1/s1600/arrowgrass+HQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9-CygUH4fCpRQf3pTEYG6OoL8OigzRCTRSmWlqckUjFzkxVbt1ceJN3PS_5xPI3m2tvsMi1SSUdsDaI0UwWGlVsrzbtMDwTzkqYa_PJUgOhDgfSo5I6DK72rS6UczDooia-WuKpZ_Fv1/s640/arrowgrass+HQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Arrowgrass swanky HQ Portland Square London</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ownership and control
of Margate’s Dreamland Amusement Park <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and associated buildings is very likely to be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>handed over to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arrowgrass Master Fund Limited according to
former Thanet Councillor Ian Driver.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Based in the
offshore tax heaven, and millionaires’ playground of Cama Bay, Grand Cayman,
Arrowgrass Master Fund is managed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by London
based Arrowgrass Capital Partners LLP and a US registered company of the same
name. <a href="http://camanabay.com/home-visitor/">http://camanabay.com/home-visitor/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YkJ-dIHKOswxM8bvYu_js4JfKvRCvDkLt0e532SM84Ss5P2o_jFXemxzyJvL_92Ev6TaUHFzRWsQp7t9Fdf0nVcAuDRotdHu-5MaXqrzUCGb34oeMI9a1K_Jw-U1ukckLzYKSGU_yEhZ/s1600/dreamland+caymam1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YkJ-dIHKOswxM8bvYu_js4JfKvRCvDkLt0e532SM84Ss5P2o_jFXemxzyJvL_92Ev6TaUHFzRWsQp7t9Fdf0nVcAuDRotdHu-5MaXqrzUCGb34oeMI9a1K_Jw-U1ukckLzYKSGU_yEhZ/s640/dreamland+caymam1.png" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In a document
published on Companies House website today, Arrowgrass Master Fund <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>secured, on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24 October, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>charges on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>leaseholds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>of 49 Marine Terrace and 50 Marine Terrace in exchange for a loan
facility of up to £1million. A previous charge in favour of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arrowgrass Master Fund , in exchange for a
loan of £600,000, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was secured on the
main Dreamland Amusement Park site on 27 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said Driver “I cannot
see how Dreamland Park operator Sands Heritage Limited, which went <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into administration owing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£14.3 million in May, can afford to pay back
the £1.6million <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plus interest and
charges it now owes to Arrowgrass Master Fund. If, as I believe is highly
likely, Sands Heritage defaults on its repayments, Arrowgrass will then own the
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>leasehold of the Dreamland Amusement
Park and associated building on Marine Terrace. It would be a tragedy for the Dreamland
Amusement Park to end up under the control of what is essentially a tax-dodging
hedge fund making the super-rich, even richer, instead of the original
Dreamland concept of not-for- profit organisation running the park and
investing money <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>back into Margate. Rather than helping to regenerate Margate, Dreamland might soon become a golden goose paying massive premiums to wealthy, tax-dodging, fat-cats”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DQ6Dn8H8AbzsMhBmxaiydo0b8XhOPXZj7GoB_dtf51jhyO1n51HVPT2pAP7-5uozLD79Wdholo-Lu0skTmLifppY0WTUhT5NZzp0oplv_v8dKDp9UPpOwn1Jo5zVDKm0HhKPwZa7zNMj/s1600/Dreamland+cayman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DQ6Dn8H8AbzsMhBmxaiydo0b8XhOPXZj7GoB_dtf51jhyO1n51HVPT2pAP7-5uozLD79Wdholo-Lu0skTmLifppY0WTUhT5NZzp0oplv_v8dKDp9UPpOwn1Jo5zVDKm0HhKPwZa7zNMj/s640/Dreamland+cayman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“An Arrowgrass
takeover of Dreamland also raises other extremely serious ethical questions” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>added Driver “Nick Connnington one of the
Directors of Sands Heritage worked for Arrowgrass for a number of years <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and has well documented business links with
Arrowgrass Director Nicholas Graham Neill going back a long time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Peter Adams another director of Sands
Heritage also has well documented business links with Niell. In March 2016, only
weeks before Sands Heritage went into administration, Connington and Adams set
up a company called Brede Hotels Limited. One of the shareholders, but a not a
director, of Brede Hotels is Nicholas Neill of Arrowgrass. The company also appears to have
taken its name from Neill’s place of residence, Brede Place, Brede, East Sussex.
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s1600/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s640/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Not that I am suggesting
any impropriety but taking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£1.6million of
secured loans <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from a company for which
you <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>previously worked, which has a
director with whom you have longstanding and current business links, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a very unusual situation which, in my opinion.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>merits close scrutiny. The question must
also be asked whether Connington and Adams or their friends and relatives have
any investments in Arrowgrass Master Fund or other related companies and
whether such investments might mean they could profit from Sands Heritage
failing as a business. At least £20million of public money including £10million
from Thanet Council Tax payers, has been invested in the Dreamland Project. The
history of the project is extremely murky and there are many questions which need
to answered in order to ensure that this massive amount of public money has been
spent wisely and properly, one of which is how and why failed company <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sands Heritage was appointed as the Dreamland
operator. Along with local MPs Sir Roger Gale and Craig MacKinlay I
call for an independent <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public
inquiry <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into the Dreamland situation.</span> </span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-45227903499887213532016-11-02T17:09:00.000+00:002016-11-02T18:34:24.959+00:00Labour Proposes Dreamland Cover Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s1600/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s640/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In letters to the Thanet Gazette and Thanet
Extra the Thanet Council <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labour Group (Iris
Johnston, Jenny Matteface, Michelle Fenner, Karen Constantine and Peter
Campbell) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>call for the management of the
£20million publically<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>funded Margate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dreamland project to be investigated <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the council’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overview and Scrutiny Committee. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In what must rank, even by Thanet
Labour’s appalling standards, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as one of the most hypocritical letters ever written
by local politicians, the Labour Group has the bare faced cheek to claim that it
is promoting good governance and accountability. What a joke!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 of the signatories of the letter, Iris
Johnston and Michelle Fenner were responsible in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>November 2013 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for verbally abusing and bullying, at a public
meeting, the four independent, non-elected, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>members of Thanet Council’s
Standards Committee <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because the Independent Standards Committee members had produced a
report which criticised the governance of Thanet Council and the accountability
of councillors – describing the organisation and its elected politicians as
being out of touch, secretive, rude and abusive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnston and Fenner’s behaviour at the meeting
and that of former councillors Clive Hart and Allan Poole, caused the 4
Independent Standards members to immediately resign. Labour’s nodding donkeys
on the Standards Committee then voted to reject a report which was all about the
promotion of good governance and accountability at Thanet Council. I secretly recorded
this appalling incident and blogged about it at the time. Here’s the link </span><a href="http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-11-26T18:25:00Z&max-results=10&start=97&by-date=false"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-11-26T18:25:00Z&max-results=10&start=97&by-date=false</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But I digress. Let’s return to Labour’s
proposal for an Overview and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scrutiny investigation
into Dreamland. Were it not such an important issue I’d be pissing myself
laughing about their idea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, the
Dreamland project is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>massive, ongoing, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>undertaking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Thanet Council simply doesn’t have the money,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>staffing levels and experience to conduct a
thorough and proper investigation into a matter of this size and complexity.
Labour knows this. Councillors from all the other parties know this and so do
the council officers. This proposal is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nothing other than cynical political posturing
- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>giving the appearance of trying to do something
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>whilst knowing all along that your
suggestion is unworkable bollocks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eufryZF1TnnxwT_tCT4aHOTM5YB7sEOuTaifg3qh70aXt2nHm4hB8InFZrRMXH_j_LbRPnbaf5TEDy9ftKoF5bTbRNhuZfZasVR5R_fz1m9JH_lUXOxoRd61n1Fud-s3PFBiJghW5SVi/s1600/dreamland12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eufryZF1TnnxwT_tCT4aHOTM5YB7sEOuTaifg3qh70aXt2nHm4hB8InFZrRMXH_j_LbRPnbaf5TEDy9ftKoF5bTbRNhuZfZasVR5R_fz1m9JH_lUXOxoRd61n1Fud-s3PFBiJghW5SVi/s640/dreamland12.jpg" width="426" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Second and more importantly Asking TDCs
Overview and Scrutiny Panel, which is made up of councillors from the Labour,
Conservative and UKIP parties, to investigate this matter <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>amounts <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to asking those useless fuckers responsible
for the Dreamland mess-up, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to
investigate themselves. Self-investigation means that misguided party loyalty,
political self-preservation and reputational damage limitation will almost
certainly get in the way of the truth being told. Any report resulting from
such a process will not be worth the paper it is written on. It will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be tainted by the skid marks of corporate and political
arse watching and will be an official whitewash. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse still, those senior politicians and
council officers responsible for the Dreamland disaster, such as former council
leader Iris Johnston and others will escape well deserved naming and shaming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is exactly what happened when
politicians used the Overview and Scrutiny Panel to investigate themselves over
the TransEuropa Ferries secret £3.4 million debt scandal in 2014. Despite the
fact that the council’s constitutional <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rules
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had been deliberately broken and ignored
by senior councillors and officers; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>despite democratically elected back-bench councillors
and the public been lied to and deceived for almost 3 years about the secret and
rapidly growing debt, Tory and Labour politicians nobbled the so-called
investigation to ensure that everyone got off Scott-free for serious abuse of
process and bare faced lying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labour,
like the rest of the political establishment, knows this is how<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>internal, self-investigations work and that’s
precisely why these shameless scoundrels are asking for one – because they know
damn well that an Overview and Scrutiny investigation will get them off the
hook for their appalling mismanagement of the Dreamland Project.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I have always called
for an independent public investigation of the Dreamland debacle perhaps by the
National Audit Office who have considerable expertise and experience in this
area. Although we may disagree on many other things, the two Thanet MPs Sir
Roger Gale and Craig MacKinlay both support my call for an
independent and public Dreamland investigation. If Thanet Council
Labour Group, , <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>genuinely support <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>honest and accountable government, then
they too should be calling for an independent public investigation
into Dreamland, instead of a squalid conflicted self-investigation which,
many people feel <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will be nothing than a
cover.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The people of Thanet have paid, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>through their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>council taxes, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over £10million toward Dreamland. The <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>same amount of public money has been invested
via central Government Grants and the Heritage Lottery funding and much more
public money will undoubtedly be invested into this project in forthcoming years.
Its therefore essential that the catalogue of disastrous mistakes and mismanagement
which have been a feature of what is supposed to be a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>flagship regeneration projected <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>are investigated and lessons learned. The only
way to do this is through an <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>independent
inquiry <o:p></o:p></span></span></span>Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-80953106873888191992016-11-01T21:50:00.002+00:002016-11-02T07:34:13.807+00:00Ramsgate - Brett’s Kicked in the Aggregates <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrYZO0kamgXcpNBvMq1f-nNulcTABDnlnRPTvGNlEmycT9VDHEqU4zFF50bQfOvCpR3aW8-d_JVX_eMFXvUhJY3yj6np8EhORnet_tvRJMH8E_zd3nJTMK-stTEgA59WLbTfHgcdSmR7y/s1600/bretts+meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrYZO0kamgXcpNBvMq1f-nNulcTABDnlnRPTvGNlEmycT9VDHEqU4zFF50bQfOvCpR3aW8-d_JVX_eMFXvUhJY3yj6np8EhORnet_tvRJMH8E_zd3nJTMK-stTEgA59WLbTfHgcdSmR7y/s640/bretts+meeting.jpg" width="450" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Environmental watchdog, Natural England have dealt, what
might be, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a fatal body blow to Brett
Aggregates plans to expand their operation at <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate Port to include a large aggregate
washing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and crushing plant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a letter to Kent Council Planning Officer James Bickle, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natural England says that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“your authority does not currently have enough information to robustly
conclude that the applicants proposals will not have a significant impact on
any of the internationally and nationally important nature conservation sites <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nearby”.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The letter goes on to request that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kent County Council secures <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“additional information” about noise pollution
levels which might be generated from the proposed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>operations at the Brett site <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the impact that this might have on bird
species living in the area. The letter also expresses concerns about dust
pollution from Brett’s existing and proposed operations at the port saying
that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">we have been provided with photos
of the current operations which appear to show large piles of material which
are unprotected by bunds or bays” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
that “there is the potential for dust generation from the (new) proposals</b>”.
Natural England insists that before approving the proposals KCC obtains clarity
about improvement <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on current and future dust
control practices from Brett’s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a further setback, Natural England also questions
whether or not Brett’s existing operation was ever properly approved by Thanet
Council and KCC. They state that the case papers <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for Brett’s current application include a
communication dated <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>28 May 2010 which “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">makes reference to the Council Harbour
Master (presumably from Thanet District Council) making a report to English
Nature (one of the predecessor bodies to Natural England) regarding the
batching plant proposal. Unfortunately I can find no record of this report in
our files, nor any other correspondence relating to the batching plant. I am
therefore unable to provide a view as to whether or not Natural England was
appropriately consulted on the batching plant, nor whether we had any concerns
with regards to its potential impacts on the natural environment</b>”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJtZKQpM6u76V4qAuMMAwNjxb9gzBO7H_HQSHCj52pNq9QQxm3IUpIkAbKyeBIvqHfQ2ul8uG7hRqrckVacmxFNpP1RyTn14gHvY1NrH7UG6e-AgUfuK4RjKY6q6dACPoIYSbZ7zVje_s/s1600/brettapplication.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJtZKQpM6u76V4qAuMMAwNjxb9gzBO7H_HQSHCj52pNq9QQxm3IUpIkAbKyeBIvqHfQ2ul8uG7hRqrckVacmxFNpP1RyTn14gHvY1NrH7UG6e-AgUfuK4RjKY6q6dACPoIYSbZ7zVje_s/s640/brettapplication.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is an issue which I brought
to the attention of Natural England last week and also raised with KCC. Both
organisations <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>say that they have no
record of the Harbourmaster’s report. I also submitted a Freedom of Information
request to Thanet Council last week requesting a copy of the Harbour Master’s
report. I somehow get the feeling that it won’t be located. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
any event as I wrote on my blog on 18<sup>th</sup> October <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“I cannot believe that it was appropriate for Thanet Council to have
delegated the task of writing a “report to English Nature with regard to the
batching plant” to its Habourmaster. The Ramsgate Port Habourmaster is
not qualified in marine environmental science. It is my opinion that he is
not competent to produce a report on the environmental impact of a concrete
batching plant upon the protected marine habitats adjacent and close to the
port. I’m astounded that Thanet Council’s then Head of Major Developments, Doug
Brown, seemed happy to accept a report from an unqualified person as
“confirmation of how environmental implications (relating to the Brett concrete
batching plant) were addressed”. However, this is same Doug Brown who, after
leaving TDC, teamed up with his former boss and ex-Director of TDC
Planning, Brian White, to advise O’Regan’s on their unsuccessful
application to set up a concrete block manufactory at Ramsgate Port.</b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszVy-4Dy0pgsS89GuBA-ci0nZiWT1e45Edg0hqehw5tLNZwGCd0UhXGAYh39A7rdrCw6idd-Ok0DXHu_Wk3s_nSK7WhphZe-WNNzDGJitpMuEi3Rd0ARX4Xx-d9XIK11SBje9qmw2Bz2T/s1600/meeting28103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszVy-4Dy0pgsS89GuBA-ci0nZiWT1e45Edg0hqehw5tLNZwGCd0UhXGAYh39A7rdrCw6idd-Ok0DXHu_Wk3s_nSK7WhphZe-WNNzDGJitpMuEi3Rd0ARX4Xx-d9XIK11SBje9qmw2Bz2T/s640/meeting28103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
right thing to have done in 2010 would have been for Thanet Council and Kent
County Council to have insisted that a proper independent environmental impact
assessment of Brett’s concrete batching plant be carried out by a suitably
qualified marine environment protection expert and that this report would have
then been sent to English Nature for them to decide if Ramsgate port was a
suitable location for an industrial operation such as this. KCC and TDC
should also have insisted that such a report be produced at Brett’s expense,
rather than what appears to have been a highly irregular and improper
freebie from an unqualified council employee.<o:p></o:p>
I will be contacting Thanet Council, KCC and English Nature to find out
exactly what happened in 2010 because from where I’m standing it looks as
though the existing operation may well be environmentally compromised,
which will of course have implications for Bretts new proposals”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So we now have situation whereby
Natural England is far from happy with both Brett’s existing and proposed
operations at Ramsgate Port and the possibility that they had, or are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>likely to have, environmentally damaging implications
on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">internationally and nationally important nature conservation sites close
to the port</b>. Today I have already publically called upon council leader
Chris Wells as the port landlord <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not to
permit the Brett’s proposals to go ahead. I repeat this request again and go further
– that he arrange a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the
setting up of Brett’s concrete batching operations at the port in 2010 and any environmental
impact assessment which may have taken place at the time, or before, including
the Harbour Master report which was alleged to have been produced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Council Leader Wells should also insist that notwithstanding
any previous reports, there should also be a full and proper environmental impact
assessment conducted by suitably qualified experts into Brett’s current operations
produced at Brett’s expense. If the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>report finds that current operations are environmentally
damaging then Brett’s lease at the port should be terminated. This is what most
people in Ramsgate would want and it’s the right thing to do.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-88656669415040898092016-11-01T18:38:00.001+00:002016-11-01T18:38:23.040+00:00Ramsgate Port & Brett Council Complicit in Act of Environmental Vandalism. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s1600/ianPort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s640/ianPort.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By allowing Brett Aggregates to expand their activities at
Ramsgate Port, Thanet Council and Kent County Council and their political
leaders will, I believe, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be directly responsible
for supporting an act of environmental and historic vandalism on a massive
scale. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yesterday a group of campaigners from the Dover and Deal
area handed in a petition of 11,677 signatures to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing
Street. The petition opposes plans by Dover Harbour Board (DHB) to dredge
2.5million cubic metres of aggregate from the Goodwin Sands over the next 3 –
4<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>years. The aggregate will be used in
the massive £200 million Dover Port expansion project which begins next year. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Campaigners argue that dredging on this huge scale will damage
the unique marine habitat of the Goodwin Sands and will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>threaten the survival of a broad range of sea
life which depend upon it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>including<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a colony of 350 grey seals and the Thornback
Ray. It is also argued that the removal of a large chunk of the sands will reduce
the level of protection provided<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the
Goodwins to the East Kent coastline and could result in greater erosion and increased
tidal <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>flooding. Finally, the Goodwin
Sands are the location of many historic shipwrecks and the remains of countless
Battle of Britain aircraft. As someone committed to protecting the environment
and conserving our history, I think this large scale dredging is wrong and I
support the campaigners and <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ChLFiF-cQOo1MtbWFartOtE5lMq2aaCGWXox09HWiU478JHtmKDcyyT1rofArtR6AgatUJfA-fhKTB1f8Hz6T1zg41fVmYWTrv737ao_Cde6zmbEtbRJJNV8aLsD4sTvfdjbfKnarfK2/s1600/goodwin+sands+sos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ChLFiF-cQOo1MtbWFartOtE5lMq2aaCGWXox09HWiU478JHtmKDcyyT1rofArtR6AgatUJfA-fhKTB1f8Hz6T1zg41fVmYWTrv737ao_Cde6zmbEtbRJJNV8aLsD4sTvfdjbfKnarfK2/s640/goodwin+sands+sos.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Save Goodwin Sands Petition Handed in to Number 10 Yesterday. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Picture Goodwin Sands SOS Facebook Group</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
have signed their petition. We will find out in
December whether the Government’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will,
despite numerous objections and the huge petition, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>grant a licence to DHB to extract aggregate from
the Goodwin Sands. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe that Brett’s Ramsgate Port <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expansion <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>proposals are directly linked to, and timed to
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>coincide with, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DHBs <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plans
to undertake the massive and damaging dredging of the Goodwin Sands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having a modern state of the art aggregate
washing plant conveniently <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>located at a port
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>close to Dover would place Brett’s in a
very strong position to successfully tender for the lucrative aggregate
processing contracts which DHB might be letting during the construction of the
expanded port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brett, though its joint
venture companies Britannia Aggregates and Volker Dredging (2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>already have substantial experience of
marine<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dredging making<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>them an even stronger <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>contender to become DHBs partner of choice to
dredge the Goodwin Sands and process the extracted aggregate”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Its inconceivable that TDC and KCC are unaware <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the link between Brett’s expansion
proposals <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the Port of Ramsgate and
DHBs plans to dredge 2.5 million cubic metres <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodwin Sands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To allow Brett to expand their operations at
Ramsgate makes <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KCC and TDC complicit in an
act of unprecedented environmental and historic vandalism on a massive scale. I
publically call upon Ramsgate Port owners Thanet Council and its leader Chris
Wells to refuse, in the interest of environmental protection, to give <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brett Aggregate Ltd permission to locate their
aggregate washing facility at the Port of Ramsgate<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-72485160040593701342016-10-30T14:28:00.000+00:002016-10-30T14:28:28.728+00:00Ramsgate Live Exports We're Making History
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z5PX3fZVuHgfSNoNfR5yzTEvEfxZ3cQBnauaeOC6dlpzsfxSGzXPya59JqIrCs7tbzQRC31QTnDC5ksbeR0K_fmCy8djiZmkqafJtD5qJt1FOqv-iODJgslAFJuZ9PPmkPx9E5_Fhrv6/s1600/liveexportsmeeting3010b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z5PX3fZVuHgfSNoNfR5yzTEvEfxZ3cQBnauaeOC6dlpzsfxSGzXPya59JqIrCs7tbzQRC31QTnDC5ksbeR0K_fmCy8djiZmkqafJtD5qJt1FOqv-iODJgslAFJuZ9PPmkPx9E5_Fhrv6/s640/liveexportsmeeting3010b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Friday I attended a meeting organised by my friend and
longstanding anti-live animal exports protestor, Reg Bell. The meeting had been
arranged <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to review the 5 year old campaign
to ban the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brutal animal export <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trade, not just from Ramsgate, but from every
port in the country. But this was no ordinary meeting. Reg being an extremely persuasive
person, was able to bring together under one roof in Thanet, some of the most
influential voices in animal welfare in the country. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The new Chief Executive of the RSPCA, Jeremy Cooper was
there along with Daphne Harris Chair of RSPCA Trustees and Chris Wainwright the
RSPCAs Director of Communications and External Relations. Emma Slawinski
Director of Campaigning from Compassion in World Farming attended as did Thanet
South MP Craig MacKinlay and Ian and Yvonne Birchall from Kent Against Live
Exports. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The meeting discussed Craig’s 10 Minute Rule Bill which amends
the 1847 Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act, to allow local authority owned
ports to use their discretion and ban live exports from their ports. Craig’s
Bill reaches its second reading stage on Friday 4<sup>th</sup> November. If successful
the Bill will then go on to committee stage, third reading and then hopefully
becomes law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But even if it becomes law,
we will still have to wait for Brexit for it to have a practical effect.
Nevertheless it’s a big step towards the eventual ending of this nasty and
cruel trade. Both RSPCA and Compassion said that they backed Craig’s Bill and
that their supporters across the country have been contacting their MPs to ask
them to vote for it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVsrRmjpgw1T0KlE8QPhoKvXrjpB0MKOObm21jlvk6JyUWKwZ_exhPILxqh6SXRhOmaJjLdHibpQzxG5-0hgoDSq4docHM8PoVJ-huCPt-hpb2HYqwfIj5qMt5nbhWBnPm7pc_Fkd7YW5/s1600/liveexportsmeeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVsrRmjpgw1T0KlE8QPhoKvXrjpB0MKOObm21jlvk6JyUWKwZ_exhPILxqh6SXRhOmaJjLdHibpQzxG5-0hgoDSq4docHM8PoVJ-huCPt-hpb2HYqwfIj5qMt5nbhWBnPm7pc_Fkd7YW5/s640/liveexportsmeeting.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The meeting then discussed the enforcement of existing EU animal
transport welfare regulations. Everyone agreed that pitifully few resources have
been invested in policing the regulations and that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cuts in central and local government spending
are likely to make an unacceptable situation even worse. However, Brexit, or no
Brexit, it was still possible for the UK Government to introduce <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our own legally enforceable national laws and
regulations limiting live animal transport times to 8 hours a day. In fact <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sweden, Denmark, Holland and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germany have already announced that this is
something they are thinking doing themselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all felt that an 8 hour limit would put an
end to live exports to the EU, or make it so expensive to comply that the
exporters would <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>simply give up. This is
a subject which the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, Craig MacKinlay MP and local
campaigners felt was worth exploring in much more detail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was agreed to establish a regular co-ordination
meeting at which all parties would monitor the situation in Ramsgate and
explore the development of Parliamentary actions to change our laws and
effectively ban live animal exports for slaughter once and for all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s not often I come away from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meeting thinking wow I have been part of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something which will make massive <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and profound difference! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But thanks to the efforts of my friend Reg
Bell a meeting was arranged <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>brought together all the key players in the UK
animal welfare movement and this meeting, I believe, will kick start a
co-ordinated drive to restrict live animal transport to 8 hours day ending
forever the cruel, barbaric scenes we have witnessed and continue to witness at
Ramsgate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Port.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As my one of my heroes LKJ once sang “we’re making history”
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-49630874722485831382016-10-30T11:33:00.003+00:002016-10-30T11:38:07.532+00:00Thanet Labour’s Shameful Electioneering at Non-Political Community Meeting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUNpDM8T8R6bA8TrxLdpWmU8v53nIwswb-9jrKHS1fhD7Uky1aqtL2P4rQWdN_Uury9WTV6oJBgfG4VUvD5garSJWHsfKlEkeo0YfOH8R704D5SC4TUlZz31QAJQEq3Xwjpt5PYsYBwB-/s1600/Thanet+Labour+2810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUNpDM8T8R6bA8TrxLdpWmU8v53nIwswb-9jrKHS1fhD7Uky1aqtL2P4rQWdN_Uury9WTV6oJBgfG4VUvD5garSJWHsfKlEkeo0YfOH8R704D5SC4TUlZz31QAJQEq3Xwjpt5PYsYBwB-/s640/Thanet+Labour+2810.jpg" width="638" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Organised by a group of people from different political parties,
or with no political affiliation, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who
were worried by Brett Aggregates plans to massively expand their concrete
manufacturing operations at the port of Ramsgate; the hugely successful public
meeting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>last Thursday was understood by
virtually everyone to be non-party political. This message was re-enforced at
the beginning of the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meeting by the
Chair <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(see video clip below. But sadly some
members of the Thanet Labour Party crudely abused the non-partisan nature of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>meeting by distributing Labour Party leaflets
in the Oddfellows Hall. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chief amongst the distributers were Thanet Councillor Karen
Constantine and Raushan Rahman, who by a strange co-incidence are both also
Labour Party candidates in the 2017 Kent County Council (KCC) elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an ill-disguised <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>attempt at KCC electioneering the leaflet
included many mentions of, and quotes from, the 2 aspiring county councillors,Constantine
and Rahman.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gIK0386unMaVnHGH-T93u8MEK3oLf6tvWlmhGNnrY8QXDkNVXTBTPRrHV_NQK3WgEx-29PpLIxw5Xwbz73MGlW9pSxpzcXUw44jgVLYbqaW2UA6Yh635feaE6SctpprJW9evLkBhXiOE/s1600/leaflet+distribution+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gIK0386unMaVnHGH-T93u8MEK3oLf6tvWlmhGNnrY8QXDkNVXTBTPRrHV_NQK3WgEx-29PpLIxw5Xwbz73MGlW9pSxpzcXUw44jgVLYbqaW2UA6Yh635feaE6SctpprJW9evLkBhXiOE/s640/leaflet+distribution+.jpg" width="608" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Irecognised in the packed 200 plus audience people I know
to be members of the Conservative, Green and Lib-Dem parties and members of
UKIP also. Not one of them attempted to distribute party literature because
they knew and respected the non-party nature of what was a community meeting. Sitting
near the front of the meeting was Ramsgate Labour Councillor, Peter Campbell
who appeared to me to be distinctly uncomfortable with the antics of his
comrades Constantine and Rahman and who noticeably
didn’t lend hand in the leaflet distribution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was utterly disrespectful and abusive of
the meeting for Constantine and Rahman to have circulated their leaflets. Had I
been the chair I would have asked them to desist or leave.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As a lifelong socialist who has handed out thousands of
leaflets in my time, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was taught that
the proper and respectful way to distribute party literature at public meeting
was to stand outside and hand leaflets to people has they entered or left <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But clearly Thanet Labour’s wannabe KCC councillors Constantine and
Rahman don’t give a damn about the sensitivities and etiquette of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public meetings. Nor do they let the clearly
expressed wishes of the meeting organisers and chair, hamper their shameless
self-promotion. I trust <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we don’t get a
repeat of this unacceptable behaviour at the next meeting on 1 December and hope
that Constantine and Rahman’s political bosses give them a good bollocking! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For the record I am not the only person to have commented
about Labour’s disgraceful politicking. Several members of the audience said to
me it wasn’t right, including one person who thought I was a Labour Party official!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-75873957103576859332016-10-28T03:01:00.000+01:002016-10-28T07:36:19.917+01:00Packed Ramsgate Port Meeting- Secret Plans Will Kill Tourism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXfLK5uNLlRDbHt-l8DFzPDqnTTyR1LrQmUysARM6lF-MDzw8hZZpce9sQHYO1b4fq56KjPPA1XDYEzHGUP9wUSOcwO3iP2mLSscFHgUNU2MqcVEVS_-95LDoEsOT0iY8nFejIUZlzOEx/s1600/meeting28103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXfLK5uNLlRDbHt-l8DFzPDqnTTyR1LrQmUysARM6lF-MDzw8hZZpce9sQHYO1b4fq56KjPPA1XDYEzHGUP9wUSOcwO3iP2mLSscFHgUNU2MqcVEVS_-95LDoEsOT0iY8nFejIUZlzOEx/s640/meeting28103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was standing
room only as more than 200 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>people <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>attended a public meeting last night at
Ramsgate’s Oddfellows Hall to discuss Brett Aggregates <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expansion of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their concrete batching operation <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the town’s port, including the installation
of large noisy aggregate crushing and washing facility. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The meeting was
addressed by South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay, John Walker of the Ramsgate
Society, Janet Fielding of Project Motor House and former Thanet Councillor, turned
local blogger and campaigner, Ian Driver. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEc2Gn-Z7aE7MtkBg5vH-roVX1HwDPFHmNEGD2Noz8WZVYOuW7Mjua5MDfYLeLkt4GTWdDQkHv2azwumLmHdyhhDxwMvcDzlMUI7T8hFh0xmRB7VBs1-triuFvKEPDvdzovPUMoTpm5HL/s1600/meetingqueue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEc2Gn-Z7aE7MtkBg5vH-roVX1HwDPFHmNEGD2Noz8WZVYOuW7Mjua5MDfYLeLkt4GTWdDQkHv2azwumLmHdyhhDxwMvcDzlMUI7T8hFh0xmRB7VBs1-triuFvKEPDvdzovPUMoTpm5HL/s640/meetingqueue.jpg" width="426" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Speaker after speaker
highlighted the damage which the expansion of Brett’s concrete manufacturing activities
may cause to Ramsgate’s atmosphere and the increased risk of pollution to
Ramsgate’s designated marine and coastal protection areas. The speakers all
agreed that excessive industrialisation of the port area would have an adverse impact
upon Ramsgate’s reviving tourist industry and was likely to deter visitors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Craig MacKinlay
told the meeting that he was opposed to Brett’s plans and called for a review
of the Ramsgate port’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>future uses, with
a focus on non-polluting light industry, the traditional fishing fleet and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>non-polluting leisure use such as a modern marina
to complement the Royal Harbour. He said that he had written to the Secretary
of State for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local Government, the
Leader of Kent County Council and the Chief Executive of English Nature opposing
the plans and demanding a full public hearing. John Walker read to the meeting a
letter of opposition from the Ramsgate Society which had been sent to Kent County
Council who are reviewing Brett’s proposals <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Janet Fielding explained some of the
technical planning matters which people could include in their letters of
objection.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ian Driver pointed
out that Kent County Council’s Minerals and Waste Plan offered Brett’s
operation at Ramsgate port strong protection from any challenge and objection.
He also said that Thanet Council’s 2014 Maritime Plan stated that the council
was in favour of expanding aggregate processing at the port. He criticised
council officers and elected councillors, from all parties, for failing to
ensure that there was proper and extensive public consultation about the
Mineral and Maritime plans in 2014 when they were being decided on. He denounced
Thanet and Kent County councils’ culture of secrecy and behind closed door decision
making. And condemned has undemocratic “the deliberate exclusion of the people
of Ramsgate from having a say about policies which will have a major impact on
their lives”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFW-NJnwGmdYWg2citiqijCf_DkRKAGMDQEgDqU8I6vz_XAPuRCPOcHIwBy9Ihv9kwJKI7omJDzYRdxnQnGPmzD45LOLcXL7-2r-QyIBaBKnHWXofPAEMV1ShPkpuGzhXgwDXq_8yGXqq/s1600/meeting2710b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFW-NJnwGmdYWg2citiqijCf_DkRKAGMDQEgDqU8I6vz_XAPuRCPOcHIwBy9Ihv9kwJKI7omJDzYRdxnQnGPmzD45LOLcXL7-2r-QyIBaBKnHWXofPAEMV1ShPkpuGzhXgwDXq_8yGXqq/s640/meeting2710b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ian Driver speaking photo Keith Ross</span></strong> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To audible
gasps of surprise Driver announced that in response to a Freedom of Information
request he had submitted to the South East Local Economic Partnership, he had
received documents which revealed that Thanet Council had submitted a £4.17
million bid for Government funding, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plus
a £2million contribution from Thanet taxpayers, to massively expand industrial
activities at the port. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The funding
would help to pay for an “alongside” berth at the port which would improve the unloading
of bulky cargo such as aggregates for Bretts concrete making operation. It
would also be used to help to fund the development of a large freight hub to
service <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the port on, or close to, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the former Manston Airport site. Finally the
bid would help to pay for a massive expansion of Ramsgate Port’s capacity to accommodate
heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the current annual capacity of 500,000 HGVs to
a staggering 1millon HGVs a year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said Driver “these
plans were developed in secret by Thanet Council officers and a tiny cabal of senior
politicians without anyone knowing. Yet again there has no public consultation
with the people of Ramsgate about whether they want a massively industrialised
and polluting port with 100 of HGVs traveling to and from the port every day
and night, or whether they would prefer instead a non-polluting leisure focused
port which will create hundreds of jobs for local people and increased business
and investment in the local economy”. Although Thanet’s plans were not put
forward to the Government for approval this year, Driver says that reliable sources
have informed him that the plans remain a top priority and will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be submitted as a funding bid at the earliest
opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All of the audience
speakers condemned Thanet and Kent County council’s secrecy in drawing up
plans, policies and funding bids in secrecy and for deliberately failing to
consult the people of Ramsgate about the intensive over-industrialisation of
the port. All of the audience speakers insisted that Ramsgate’s port and
seafront should be used for leisure, rather than heavy industrial purposes, which
would develop and promote a sustainable and vibrant visitor economy in the
town. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was agreed to hold another public
meeting on 1 December and to set up a fighting fund to secure legal advice on
stopping Brett’s expansion at the port.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfA36rBj20X8M6U4NAQoeAG_FVq3KVAqWao6mOK97fmYaHZeNrlB_Hi6LeweSulJ8SjLKE52yRt6tfkdgob6jhAI3k_REbXjHPIk2NPUjRVd5LBW4nxt359ZPmyiANIBvSOldwyV2uzAkk/s1600/meeting2710d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfA36rBj20X8M6U4NAQoeAG_FVq3KVAqWao6mOK97fmYaHZeNrlB_Hi6LeweSulJ8SjLKE52yRt6tfkdgob6jhAI3k_REbXjHPIk2NPUjRVd5LBW4nxt359ZPmyiANIBvSOldwyV2uzAkk/s640/meeting2710d.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A copy of
Driver’s FOI response is attached to this press release. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477611499207_3427"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Dear
Mr Driver</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Thank
you for your request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) 2000.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
Port of Ramsgate bid is a request for £4.17m of LGF3 funding to match with £2m
from Thanet District Council for the construction of a new double-deck ro-ro
berth at the Port of Ramsgate. The Port is a municipal port owned and
operated by Thanet District Council, and this investment represents the first
phase of a three phase expansion strategy to increase the Port’s capacity and
resilience. This will enable the Port of Ramsgate to add to the
South-East’s strategic capacity to service increases in projected cross-Channel
ro-ro traffic of 45% expected through the South East’s Channel ports over the
next 20 years (in Road Goods Vehicles terms an increase from 3.17m vehicles in
2015 to 4.6m by 2035, i.e. an additional 1.43m vehicles). (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">what about £200million expansion of Port of
Dover won’t this deal with the growth in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vehicle numbers. No mention of London Gateway
Port ability to absorb increased vehicle number – surely there is no need for
Ramsgate Port expansion it will be a massive waste off taxpayers money? –
comments Ian Driver) </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477611499207_3418"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ramsgate
Port currently has the capacity to accommodate up to 500,000 HGV’s per annum.
This investment will increase that capacity to 1 million HGV’s per annum.
At 58 miles, Ramsgate is the same distance via the M2 from the QE2 Bridge as
Dover and offers an opportunity to meet future freight demand by linking with
the continental road and rail network via the Port of Calais. The port
also offers cost effective routes to Northern Europe via Dunkirk, Ostend,
Zeebrugge and Vlissingen.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477611499207_3416"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This
first phase of infrastructure investment will improve the Port’s handling
capacity, particularly for unaccompanied freight vehicles. The proposed works
for the first phase will develop a new modern double deck ro-ro berth which
will increase capacity, and by offering an alternative to the existing double
deck ro-ro berth will also build in resilience which cross-Channel operators
often look for. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1477611499207_3413"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This
on-port investment will be key enabling infrastructure capable of leveraging
second phase public and private sector investment in the development firstly of
an on-<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>port new alongside quay for the
Port’s existing aggregates cargo and bulk cargo expansion </u></b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>secondly an off-site freight logistics
hub at Manston Business Park; and if services and traffics develop to the level
that is possible, then a third phase seaward port expansion.</u></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u></u></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></span></span><br />
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-77014275433590246812016-10-23T16:00:00.001+01:002016-10-24T09:26:52.027+01:00Dont Trust the Dreamland Trust<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtBbWZS_HZ78LbrNFLQOG4PvboBcDYvrmtZXsiE2w0cxTgF_27x6hN6o2hAKoADA9-PEY3ZxJol840XvefvQr4-w-NALlpTugEYBHc9YxNskSe047dwjXcs_1VPs-UEnz7xfxOGwNoK0a/s1600/dreamlandtrust2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtBbWZS_HZ78LbrNFLQOG4PvboBcDYvrmtZXsiE2w0cxTgF_27x6hN6o2hAKoADA9-PEY3ZxJol840XvefvQr4-w-NALlpTugEYBHc9YxNskSe047dwjXcs_1VPs-UEnz7xfxOGwNoK0a/s640/dreamlandtrust2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">It might have played an important role in helping to save Margate’s Dreamland, but that
was then and this is now. Last Tuesday’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>poorly advertised and badly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>attended (less than 50 people by my
estimation) open meeting of the Dreamland Trust at Margate Winter Gardens,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>showed just how out of touch, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>complacent and irrelevant this once highly
regarded organisation has become. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The new chair of the Trust, Bernie Morgan, tried hard to
create the impression of a dynamic leader with new ideas but in truth she appeared to lack vision, had no new ideas and seemed perfectly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>content to be overseeing an organisation which,
to put it politely, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a shambolic mess. Its
public facing website is hopelessly out of date. Trustees who resigned long ago
are still shown as being members of the board. Her predecessor, Nick Laister,
who ceased to be the Chair of the Trust three months ago is still listed on the
website as occupying that post. Basic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>information about the Trust like its aims and
objectives, minutes of board meetings, policy documents, activities and
performance reports and its accounts have not been published on the Trust
website. Worse still an expensive
publically funded survey about Dreamland and the work of the Trust was
advertised on its Facebook page 2 days before the closing date and not at all
on its website. The new Chair has had 3 months to put these important organisational
problems right, but has clearly failed to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv4DF3BGu-DTAYiWGMOY3niiw8MaJ1RoqiZJNQOyGLleFoB_4mLohIp6SRs_yzi2MVq59JkXL64mbIDSNhd6d6IXyUB3vrOwP6G14MXrxB8BwbBDN1FsNXu9cNhvwwPNb1A4rW38Nmmv3/s1600/dreamlandtrust6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlv4DF3BGu-DTAYiWGMOY3niiw8MaJ1RoqiZJNQOyGLleFoB_4mLohIp6SRs_yzi2MVq59JkXL64mbIDSNhd6d6IXyUB3vrOwP6G14MXrxB8BwbBDN1FsNXu9cNhvwwPNb1A4rW38Nmmv3/s640/dreamlandtrust6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s often said in management circles that an organisation
which does not have an up to date public face and which demonstrates<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an arrogant disregard of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>accountability by failing to publish its
governance and performance documents, is an organisation which is dysfunctional
and unfit for purpose. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a view
with which an overwhelming majority at last Tuesday’s meeting appeared to agree
with including several <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>former Trust staff
who lead a barrage of criticism of the Trust including calls for the
resignation of the directors.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The main focus of the criticism was the Trust’s
lilly-livered failure to stand up to, and speak out against, the massive incompetence
of Thanet District Council and Sands Heritage in their management of the
£22million publically funded Dreamland amusement park. The Trust was condemned
for remaining silent about the premature opening of Dreamland in June 2015, before
the iconic scenic railway was operational and for its continuing silence over Sands
Heritage inability to get the scenic up and running for almost 16 weeks
following its <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>latest problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concern was also expressed about the Trust’s lack
of comment<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>over the selection of Sands
Heritage as the theme park operator despite it privately having serious
concerns about the appointment process. Some speakers were surprised that the
Trust failed to make any public statement about the collapse of Sands Heritage
into administration and for failing to put forward alternative plans to run the theme park.
Several speakers suggested that the Trust was no longer for fit purpose and
that it needed to fundamentally review its role to include a stronger element
of public scrutiny of Dreamland and holding the council and park operator to
account.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIqfhEyvfnfpSQJWguf37qo68LWmm1LUb8k0NnnZRIBsTgCMtpD9trF_SAVEJ49-lUn2-6-9NPXLUHGAsLtQxsED9PY7Yv44jiXQWlZvtV3XUl1zl_MHmg8FdNPw7GM4FPYzW_mPNgQnA/s1600/dreamlandtrust9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIqfhEyvfnfpSQJWguf37qo68LWmm1LUb8k0NnnZRIBsTgCMtpD9trF_SAVEJ49-lUn2-6-9NPXLUHGAsLtQxsED9PY7Yv44jiXQWlZvtV3XUl1zl_MHmg8FdNPw7GM4FPYzW_mPNgQnA/s640/dreamlandtrust9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Personally I thought the audience, whilst clearly angry,
let the Trust off the hook lightly. Its new chair and directors were clearly
disinterested in the points which were raised, condescendingly batting
away questions as being none of their concern or outside <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their paygrade. To me this approach signified that the Trust is out of touch with the community and its ideas and aspirations for
Dreamland, especially the need for the management and development of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this publically funded £22million project to be held
to account and for the people of Thanet to know that that its money has been well
spent.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">On a positive note, the new chair said that she will be recruiting
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new directors for the Trust. I’d go one
step further and say to the chair, that on the basis of their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recent performance she should sack all the existing
directors and replace them as well. Either way, every effort should be made to
ensure that all <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new directors should be
passionate about Dreamland , in touch with community thinking, and determined to hold Thanet Council and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dreamland’s operator to account on behalf of
the public. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was good to see that the
anger and frustration of the audience was sufficiently powerful to force
concessions from an otherwise arrogantly dismissive top table, who promised
more our fear than good-will, to hold another Trust open meeting in 5-6 months
time. At this meeting they promised they would present <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>new proposals about how the Trust would
operate. I sincerely hope that these proposals will include a powerful element
of public scrutiny of the management of Dreamland and its <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>increased public accountability. Anything less
would confirm my view that the Dreamland Trust and its directors are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unfit for purpose <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and should be got rid of.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One final observation about the meeting. Only one of Thanet's 56 elected councillors, Mick Tomlinson, was interested enough in the work of the organisation to make the effort to turn up to the meeting. And Councillor Tomlinson is no friend of the Trust, having made some strong criticisms of it at briefing meetings when I was also councillor. I guess this lack of political support</span> at Tuesday's meeting underlines how irrelevant the powers that be regard </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">the Trust and why they were excluded from the decision making for so long without so much a murmur a public protest. The new Chair and new directors have certainly got a big job of work on their hands.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's my video of the meeting </span></span><br />
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-21794874688464460352016-10-18T14:15:00.000+01:002016-10-18T17:09:37.971+01:00Brett’s & Ramsgate Port. Something’s Not Right?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s1600/ianPort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s640/ianPort.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have been studying the documents on Kent County Council’s</span>
website about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brett Aggregates proposals
to install an aggregate washing plant at Ramsgate port and presumably expand
and intensify their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>concrete manufacturing
operations there. The documents show that Brett’s established their current concrete
batching operation at the port in 2010. But on studying the documents I’m worried
that the original permission for Brett to operate from Ramsgate Port might not
have been properly granted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a letter to Brett dated 28 May 2010 TDCs then Head of
Major Developments, Doug Brown, states that the Ramsgate Port Harbourmaster
had prepared a report for English Nature about Brett’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“batching plant proposal”. For the Harbourmaster
to have produced such a report for English Nature seems very odd to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate Port is located in the middle of an
extremely sensitive marine area which is protected by several different specialist
designations. The port is adjacent to a site of special scientific interest
(SSCI), it’s close to a special area of conservation (SAC) and a special
protection area (SPA). The port also falls within a marine conservation
area (MCA) and there is also a rare Ramsar designated area of coastline next to
the port. Bearing in mind the complex and extremely technical nature of these
special environmental protection designations I cannot believe that it was
appropriate for Thanet Council to have delegated the task of writing a “report
to English Nature with regard to the batching plant” to its Habourmaster. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCCERWkEWTOfwNI_oNWiuy5JXLxWD4PbplYCVNkOWt_zwcinDhGOG4eG-XpTEt4anaGpTiDe8tnLe70_biuMr2qRQ7X91vbGCjTfPglECMevg3DEuZFloK6Ip9tbF0Tx3H_YtzeaAMLtY/s1600/bretts+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCCERWkEWTOfwNI_oNWiuy5JXLxWD4PbplYCVNkOWt_zwcinDhGOG4eG-XpTEt4anaGpTiDe8tnLe70_biuMr2qRQ7X91vbGCjTfPglECMevg3DEuZFloK6Ip9tbF0Tx3H_YtzeaAMLtY/s640/bretts+2010.jpg" width="610" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Ramsgate Port <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Habourmaster is not qualified in marine environmental
science. It is my opinion that he is not competent to produce a report on the environmental
impact of a concrete batching plant upon the protected marine habitats adjacent
and close to the port. I’m astounded that Thanet Council’s then <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Head of Major Developments, Doug Brown, seemed
happy to accept a report from an <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unqualified person as “confirmation of how
environmental implications (relating to the Brett concrete batching plant) were addressed”. However, this is same Doug Brown
who, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>after leaving TDC, teamed up with
his <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>former boss and ex-Director of TDC Planning,
Brian White, to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>advise O’Regan’s on
their unsuccessful application to set up a concrete block manufactory at Ramsgate
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Port.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The right thing to have done in 2010 would have been for
Thanet Council and Kent County Council to have insisted that a proper independent
environmental impact assessment of Brett’s concrete batching plant be carried out
by a suitably qualified marine environment protection expert and that this
report would have then been sent to English Nature for them to decide if
Ramsgate port was a suitable location for an industrial operation such as this.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KCC and TDC should also have insisted
that such a report be produced at Brett’s expense, rather than what appears to
have been a highly irregular and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>improper freebie from an unqualified council
employee.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will be contacting Thanet Council, KCC <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and English Nature to find out exactly what
happened in 2010 because from where I’m <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>standing
it looks as though <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the existing operation
may well be environmentally compromised, which will of course have implications
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for Bretts new proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-50719101402491344992016-10-14T18:20:00.000+01:002016-10-14T18:42:23.513+01:00Brett Aggregates. Council Deceit <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyi85s474gWhQ0FB8PVj9T6yxS3faBYsGUbEtLWbn89PBYfSxiwLCvyp0fkQXgSb5tVxVo_vuBL9wDeSEarwVJ3ObY_I4ZPr1vO8oQQvQbpSigvaoEzM0k68yhpMI7ZVZQAG5ojk_d8EO1/s1600/port3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyi85s474gWhQ0FB8PVj9T6yxS3faBYsGUbEtLWbn89PBYfSxiwLCvyp0fkQXgSb5tVxVo_vuBL9wDeSEarwVJ3ObY_I4ZPr1vO8oQQvQbpSigvaoEzM0k68yhpMI7ZVZQAG5ojk_d8EO1/s640/port3.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanet Council issued a press release yesterday about Brett
Aggregate’s plans for its operation at Ramsgate Port. The press release deliberately
downplayed Brett’s status by describing it as “local company”. They are
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to their website Brett Aggregates
have 3 regional head offices covering London, Southern England and Eastern England
plus a specialist head office for their marine aggregates activities. The Brett
Aggregate website also lists the addresses, telephone numbers and emails of 29 aggregate
depots across London, Southern and Eastern England. Their annual accounts for
2015 state that they made pre-tax profits of £4.5 million. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are hardly the statistics you would associate with a
“local company”. The truth is that Brett Aggregates are one of largest and most
powerful aggregate producers and suppliers in the UK. To portray the company in
any other way, especially when it relates to an issue of genuine public concern
about their commercial operations at Ramsgate Port, is to deceive and mislead <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>local people. Something you would not expect a
public body to do. But hey this is Thanet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The press release goes on to say that the large aggregate
washing plant which Brett hopes to install at Ramsgate Port, is required to “enhance
the company’s existing operation”. This wording suggests that Brett’s are not
planning any major changes at Ramsgate but simply improving, streamlining and
modernising what they are already doing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again the council is being deceptive. The
press release deliberately fails to mention the fact that Thanet Council <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>has
already</u></i></b> permitted Brett to expand the area of land it rents at
Ramsgate Port. It also fails to mention the fact that the new washing facility,
which also incorporates a noisy aggregate crushing capability, will allow Brett
to increase its aggregate processing capacity to over 100,000 tonnes per year which
is a huge increase on their current production capacity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So what we actually have, is not a small local company
enhancing its existing operations, as deceitful TDC would have you <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>believe, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but one of the largest aggregate companies in
the UK, significantly increasing the footprint of its operation at Ramsgate
Port and seeking to install equipment which will enable it to massively expand its
productive capacity. Expansion on this scale is certain to have serious noise,
dust and traffic implications, plus an increased threat to Ramsgate’s protected
marine conservation areas next to the port. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I strongly suspect that this expansion, is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not be the end of Brett’s ambitions at
Ramsgate port, but the beginning of further growth and development of its
capacity. Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well a recent report from
the highly respected British Geological Survey notes that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>land
based aggregate extraction from quarries and gravel pits has been is steady
decline over the past 20 years. So called “marine dredged aggregates” are now beginning
to replace land extracted sources, particularly in south east of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>England which apparently has abundant supplies
of marine aggregate located <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shallow water which makes much <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>easier and cheaper to extract. Already having
a specialist marine aggregate division, plus a facility at Ramsgate which offers
plenty of room to expand and grow, will give Brett a huge advantage over its
competitors and the opportunity to dominate the south east England marine aggregate
business.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Second, in 2017/18 work begins on the £150 million expansion
and improvement of Dover Harbour. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This huge
civil engineering project is estimated to require an astronomic 2.5 million
cubic metres of aggregate. Dover Harbour Board plans to extract the aggregate from
the nearby Goodwin Sands and is currently awaiting a decision from the
Government’s Maritime Management Organisation about the granting of a maritime
aggregate dredging licence which will permit this work. With its considerable expertise
in marine aggregate dredging; access to a large modern aggregate processing facility
at nearby Ramsgate Port, Brett’s would be a front runner to win any contracts
for marine aggregate dredging and processing that Dover Harbour Board might be
letting in the next year or so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HdQ1Glqg-NYVR13G4z8-k1nC01So_6TUEOgcbku5VRAtg24c8X9U2BjJ6rTiRZcGywXPbcoXXNy46s-KP6JoqW-f3U2OMysqss0CuG4g2fBZLZB8Pvcs8vRLz6PLh3rS2zeSDisviEs9/s1600/port1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HdQ1Glqg-NYVR13G4z8-k1nC01So_6TUEOgcbku5VRAtg24c8X9U2BjJ6rTiRZcGywXPbcoXXNy46s-KP6JoqW-f3U2OMysqss0CuG4g2fBZLZB8Pvcs8vRLz6PLh3rS2zeSDisviEs9/s640/port1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last but not least, the much delayed Local Plan for Thanet
will include a target to build at least 12,000 new homes in the district in the
next 15 years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dover, Canterbury and
Shepway districts also have their own Local Plan targets for new house building
over the same period of time. Coupled with the infrastructure and services <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to support this large increase in housing
numbers there will be a significant increase in demand for aggregates and
concrete in the east Kent area. Once again Brett with their strategically located
base in Ramsgate are ideally positioned to corner what is likely to be an
extremely lucrative market.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My belief is that if Brett are given permission, by KCC, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to expand their activities at Ramsgate Port
this would open the door to a series of expansions leading to the port and
surrounding areas becoming dominated by a massive aggregate processing plant.
Such a development would quickly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kill
off<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramsgate’s slowly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reviving visitor economy destroying in the
process many more jobs and business opportunities than<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Brett’s aggregate plant could ever
create. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Its simply wrong to locate a potentially polluting and environmentally
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>damaging industrial operation in the
middle of town which depends on its visitor economy. There are plenty are other
locations, not in tourist areas, which Brett could use – for example Ridham docks, which would provide
excellent facilities for their business. Like the O’Regan concrete block
debacle which was strongly resisted <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by
Ramsgate people 18 months ago, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we now need
to be begin a new campaign to stop Brett despoiling Ramsgate’s seafront. This
continual pressure to locate dirty, polluting <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>industries at the port and the seeming
willingness of Labour and UKIP<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>council administrations
to comply and cooperate also underlines the urgency of developing a “People’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plan” for Ramsgate seafront which will be
leisure focused and exclude inappropriate industries and off-shore Panamanian
property speculators too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span>Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-21087170977043190912016-10-13T17:26:00.000+01:002016-10-13T19:28:28.387+01:00Ramsgate Port, Brett Aggregates & Revolving Door. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s1600/ianPort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-IiBZQ-8CrAjKfFOaEpkzmwercn8WnC16kCR3lbwQ3fMKW_inwNYZVTTXnvR2NkbOzveGixRQIbQxAn5QBHD99sod6uBdEV0ETpMBqAMz0Vk35VoB3a9goxBDfoR9m8NdwJTKlNueh9d/s640/ianPort.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m extremely
worried about Brett Aggregates plans to massively expand their operation at
Ramsgate Port. I have some serious environmental concerns about their proposals,
not least of which is the impact that a large aggregate washing facility might have
upon the protected marine conservation area adjacent to the port. I’m also concerned
that the growing industrialisation of what is essentially a failed port, will adversely
affect Ramsgate’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>growing visitor
economy and work against <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any discussion of
alternative, leisure based uses for the port such as modern 21<sup>st</sup> century
marina. The continuing use of the port for low investment, low job creation businesses such as aggregates, car-importation
and live animal exports threatens to blight Ramsgate’s seafront and is not the
best answer for the regeneration of the town.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll be writing
about these issues in more detail over the next couple of weeks and am now doing
some background research into Brett’s and their plans. But <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>within 10 minutes of me kicking off my research
and Googling information about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the company
blow me down if I didn’t spot something very interesting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to a press release on Brett’s
website the company has appointed a new Director of Lands and Planning. I
assume that this Director will be responsible for acquiring, disposing of and managing
all the sites and properties operated by Brett’s and ensuring that they all have
the required planning permissions and licenses. I also assume that this Director will by the nature of the job title, be leading the negotiations and discussions with TDC and Kent County Council about the expansion of his employers operations at Ramsgate Port. But what caught my attention most was
not the duties of the job, but the person who had been appointed to do it – Mr John
Bunnett.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSm_6Um8TvRbtJ7aX1LXTrWjxZYjuY0Vyys12J0TQvlJFrop6tDeg4FVPZCVzfYVnLldV4F_l-N8OXfM6EN9gFeuey6ZMiCNqF-QlJN5H1rTVAuuDiEe496APL56CxfvbnrYi_O6ssR3x/s1600/bunnett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSm_6Um8TvRbtJ7aX1LXTrWjxZYjuY0Vyys12J0TQvlJFrop6tDeg4FVPZCVzfYVnLldV4F_l-N8OXfM6EN9gFeuey6ZMiCNqF-QlJN5H1rTVAuuDiEe496APL56CxfvbnrYi_O6ssR3x/s1600/bunnett.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">John Bunnett
was until 2009 Deputy Chief Executive of Thanet District Council. If my
recollections are correct Mr Bunnett <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
responsible for managing TDCs regeneration and planning operations . I also believe
that he may have managed TDC’s current Chief Executive. Mr Bunnett left TDC in
2009 to become the Chief Executive of Ashford Borough Council where he remained
until moving to Bretts this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m not
suggesting any impropriety by Mr Bunnett or anyone else, but I have always felt
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>uncomfortable about the so called “revolving
door” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>whereby senior public servants move
into the private sector and then use their public sector knowledge, expertise
and contacts to benefit their new employer. Indeed there was an identical situation
18 months ago when TDCs former Director of Planning and his deputy - Brian White
and Doug Brown - were employed by O’Regans to unsuccessfully push through a planning
application for a concrete block manufacturing operation at the port. I wrote about this in early 2015 and the posts are still on this blogsite if you are interested. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hFtH5iQfI1BTKcwyXElUwjTvjW7kQjGZF_H7ynWF2fl1svF5FwRkHfCfFYRBR9TGA_ix1dr6esbdqxM2fCllLn0TtZMYiQC_qVdM7OIf6f0ecOj6PXSk-X4FbWuORlbccoQNFZjSpg-j/s1600/revolving+door+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hFtH5iQfI1BTKcwyXElUwjTvjW7kQjGZF_H7ynWF2fl1svF5FwRkHfCfFYRBR9TGA_ix1dr6esbdqxM2fCllLn0TtZMYiQC_qVdM7OIf6f0ecOj6PXSk-X4FbWuORlbccoQNFZjSpg-j/s640/revolving+door+.jpg" width="618" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although
“revolving door” employment <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is perfectly legal it
doesn’t feel right to me. I believe that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there is something fundamentally unethical and undemocratic about private companies
head hunting senior public servants to capitalise upon their knowledge, experience,
contacts and influence in order to secure a unfair business advantage over
their competitors. And its not just me who has these concerns. The House of
Commons Public Administration Select Committee and the Committee for Standards
in Public Life have both said that the “revolving door”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>carries with it major risks of unfair influence
and advantage which work against competitiveness and value for taxpayers money
and can often lead to unfair and improper decision making. The highly regarded
anti-corruption charity Transparency International <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recently published a report which argued that
the revolving door can sometimes give rise to corruption, preferential
treatment and unfair advantage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So as a
starting point in considering Brett Aggregates plans for its Ramsgate Port
operation, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it would fair to ask
Thanet Council and Kent County Council <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to provide the following information <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
number of meetings (formal or informal) which have been held in 2016 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between TDC/KCC (officers and
councillors) and Brett’s to discuss their plans for the expanding their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>operation at Ramsgate Port including the introduction
of aggregate washing and the dates of these meetings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
number of telephone calls <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(formal or
informal) which have taken place <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 2016
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between TDC/KCC (officers and
councillors) and Brett’s to discuss their plans for the expanding their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>operation at Ramsgate Port including the introduction
of aggregate washing and the dates of these meetings<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
number of e-mails <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(formal or informal) which
have been exchanges <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 2016 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between TDC/KCC (officers and
councillors) and Brett’s to discuss their plans for the expanding their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>operation at Ramsgate Port including the introduction
of aggregate washing and the dates of these meetings<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Whether
any of these meetings, telephone calls and e-mail exchanges involved Mr John
Bunnett of Brett's and if so please specify which. </span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-72646071613528572302016-10-12T17:11:00.001+01:002016-10-12T19:39:55.058+01:00Cardy Construction. £18million debt. Liquidation & Pleasurama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjjNVOXEsNzhbFrwshsTl65UloSuu4jVXn_o6NeuXjMWGhz-RHTynYRpJkErrRuS_gzrmQSR3dFq4Yev8rwf86Xvg8YCbKtNe4fzM6R_LgDyyTOsUvHy2mS6jtVL7WeYfFQPdFBTmRo8S/s1600/inconveience1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjjNVOXEsNzhbFrwshsTl65UloSuu4jVXn_o6NeuXjMWGhz-RHTynYRpJkErrRuS_gzrmQSR3dFq4Yev8rwf86Xvg8YCbKtNe4fzM6R_LgDyyTOsUvHy2mS6jtVL7WeYfFQPdFBTmRo8S/s640/inconveience1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The publication
of insolvency practitioners, RSM Restructuring LLP’s, report into the collapse
of building contractors Cardy Construction in July of this year, with a loss of
approximately 200 jobs and debts estimated to be £18million is, according to
ex- Thanet councillor Ian Driver, “devastating news for former Cardy staff and Kent
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>based businesses and also raises <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>extremely serious questions about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet Council’s (TDC) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dealings with this failed company over the
Ramsgate seafront Pleasurama development”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTOwdgGMHPLqKLrkiaVg_0SsiYpE4S36sGo_gmial2WoX3_N7A22SplRlCAj6Ej9nT7N6NH74Lt3GJAF5lAtBfgUvKoRrUNXeulHNxOWhuQKma0rY1Dd9Y_bi5UBCFUw11w2o5J6yRL7R/s1600/admin+proposals+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTOwdgGMHPLqKLrkiaVg_0SsiYpE4S36sGo_gmial2WoX3_N7A22SplRlCAj6Ej9nT7N6NH74Lt3GJAF5lAtBfgUvKoRrUNXeulHNxOWhuQKma0rY1Dd9Y_bi5UBCFUw11w2o5J6yRL7R/s640/admin+proposals+.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The report, published
on the Companies House website, blames a series of unspecified arbitration claims
against Cardy, totalling <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£3million, for
reducing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the company’s liquidity to a
level at which “it could no longer meet its ongoing cash requirements and pay
its debts as they fell due”. The administrators will be recommending, at a
creditors meeting to be held in London today (Wednesday 12 October), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that all available funds recovered from the non-trading
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>company are distributed to creditors and
that the company is then dissolved via a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation
process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Documents
published on the Companies House website record almost a thousand creditor claims
against the company, with more likely to be in the pipeline. Many of the claims
are from small/ medium sized Kent-based businesses ranging from several £100s
to £10s of thousands. The administrators have identified NatWest Bank, which is
owed £347,953, as a secured creditor and former employees, who are owed
£165,274 in unpaid wages, as preferential creditors. This leaves an estimated £556,000
to be shared out amongst the remaining creditors including HM Revenue and
Customs who alone are owed £304,000 in unpaid taxes and national insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said Driver “the
collapse of Cardy Construction will have a devastating impact upon the 200 people
who worked loyally for the company and the hundreds of businesses in Kent and elsewhere
who will now have to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>absorb <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>losses which could easily destroy some of
them. This is appalling news for Kent’s economy which is ill-placed to deal
with a multi-£million hit like this”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">He added “I’m
extremely concerned about these revelations and the implications that they have
for the controversial Ramsgate seafront Pleasurama development. In March 2015 Thanet
Council's then Leader Cllr Iris Johnston and Cabinet Finance boss Cllr Rick Everitt signed
on behalf of TDC a contract with Cardy Construction to become the builder of
this large <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£30million development which includes
107 luxury flats and 60 bed hotel. The question must now be asked what due
diligence did TDC and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cllrs Johnston and
Everitt conduct <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into Cardy Construction before
the contract was signed? Was TDC aware of the arbitration cases pending against
Cardy and their impact on the company’s financial <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stability? If not why not?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He went to say “Debts
of £18million don’t accumulate suddenly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>overnight.
It took many months for this terrible situation to develop and the warning
signs must have been clear during 2014/15 when TDC was negotiating with Cardy. Did
TDC spot these signs? If they did <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what
action was taken to protect TDCs interests? If they didn’t why not? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP47xvWLAbU25vx5NBrAM7aWgAnL-tjSx3_PkSvJWBX5aAislE1jiiD1zr8O5px-8Z-DJvhJ3HHz9VsEgXM8Gpww8Pze44135HvpdrHCDpEF4NIBAPazq_PMYhQEn-Z1CEsFkF0n-NG1I2/s1600/CARDY+SITE+IN+HOCK+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP47xvWLAbU25vx5NBrAM7aWgAnL-tjSx3_PkSvJWBX5aAislE1jiiD1zr8O5px-8Z-DJvhJ3HHz9VsEgXM8Gpww8Pze44135HvpdrHCDpEF4NIBAPazq_PMYhQEn-Z1CEsFkF0n-NG1I2/s640/CARDY+SITE+IN+HOCK+.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“I’m also
extremely concerned by the actions of Cardy Construction’s managing director,
Mike Stannard. According to the administrators report Stannard, and I presume
his fellow directors, were aware of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cardy
Construction’s financial troubles <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>long before it entered administration. So why,
just a week before the company was taken over by administrators RSM
Restructuring LLP, did<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stannard buy
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>freehold of the Pleaurama site, as previously agreed by the Labour controlled council in 2015, using £3million loaned to him by
the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>financial backer of the discredited
former Pleasurama developers SFP Ventures, Mr Colin Hill. It seems very strange to me
that at the very time that the company which was going to build the Pleasurama development
was going out of business, its managing director buys <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>land which it would have been unable to develop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply doesn’t make business sense to me. I
think Mr Stannard and Mr Hill need to provide the people of Ramsgate with an explanation
about this mysterious transaction. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Furthermore <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>why did TDC and its new political bosses UKIP
who had seized control of the council from Labour in the
May 2015 elections, allow the previously agreed sale of the Pleasurama freehold to go ahead?
Surely the council and its political leadership must have known just before the
land sale happened in July 2016 that Cardy was in serious financial difficulties. Surely the
right thing to have done, if they did know, would have been to put a hold on
the sale of the land until the situation had been properly investigated by TDC
and its legal advisers. Sadly nothing was done. The land is now under the
control of a company which is managed by a long-standing colleague of SFP’s
Shaun Keegan and Colin Hill and there is a loan charge on the land for
£3million <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from offshore Panamanian
registered Mintal Services Inc. which is linked <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to Colin Hill”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqaIde_oVtR_Vkweus3hyQK-b_RJwGOYV7CHrp9XjqHWb6Yxs-_0PGf9Q4QX6M167MgzXbTNa7mXvuJmVajdiXrJwt71YlYLti8Vs1U2AxEGctzFX6ZmI158h5pSo83Ta1b4HGG6jneOB/s1600/Pleasurua+liars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqaIde_oVtR_Vkweus3hyQK-b_RJwGOYV7CHrp9XjqHWb6Yxs-_0PGf9Q4QX6M167MgzXbTNa7mXvuJmVajdiXrJwt71YlYLti8Vs1U2AxEGctzFX6ZmI158h5pSo83Ta1b4HGG6jneOB/s640/Pleasurua+liars.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Labour Councillors Everitt & Johnston celebrate in March 2015 doing the deal with Cardy's Stannard . If only due diligence had been more robust</strong></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Had the
council and its Labour and UKIP political bosses, managed a much more robust and
comprehensive due diligence of Cardy then I believe that it would have been highly unlikely that the
Pleasurama development contract with this <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>company would ever have been signed and highly
unlikely that the freehold of the land would have been sold to Stannard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now have the appalling situation where, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because of what appears to me to have been <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gross incompetence and mismanagement <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by TDC and its political bosses, a large chunk
of expensive, and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>previously publically
owned, seafront land has been lost forever to an offshore Panamanian company. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These disturbing revelations add yet further
backing to Thanet South MP Craig MacKinlay’s call for a an independent inquiry
into the shameful Pleasurama debacle”.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As my heroes the Sex Pistols Said Do you ever get the feeling you've been cheated? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-17974199032443976332016-10-05T16:51:00.001+01:002016-10-05T17:33:03.295+01:00Pleasurama Labour’s Excuse Factory Begins Work<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyv-5cto708cc7p-28L_LmHDFK5edWM1Nv3E9EVPXSHm8jRCn5GDUqUt6fA6415Wr4LvdjGIHVmzNG6k5Ys-_SxRurdINwOLje8CkkhdvfebiGysXBuDocwj_ddPCwXsAVvKHzpJ-rtI5/s1600/Pleasurua+liars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyv-5cto708cc7p-28L_LmHDFK5edWM1Nv3E9EVPXSHm8jRCn5GDUqUt6fA6415Wr4LvdjGIHVmzNG6k5Ys-_SxRurdINwOLje8CkkhdvfebiGysXBuDocwj_ddPCwXsAVvKHzpJ-rtI5/s640/Pleasurua+liars.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Everitt & Pals Wiping Pleasurama Slate Clean - Or Did They?</strong></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Writing in this
week’s Gazette former Thanet councillor Rick Everitt, the man responsible for overseeing
the 2015 deal whereby building company Cardy replaced SFP Ventures Ltd, as the
new Pleasurama developers said that this deal had “wiped the slate clean”. I
assume he meant <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by this that getting rid
of the people associated with former developers SFP Ventures, Shaun Keegan and
financier Colin Hill, who were responsible for 14 years<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of inaction and the blight Ramsgate’s
seafront, a new start could be made and the development could finally get
underway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed in his letter Everitt actually
says “when the Council signed the deal with Cardy Construction for them to take
over the contract in the spring of 2015 I was confident work (on the Pleasurama
site) would recommence that summer”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhAtebH81MAj7txb9xHuBf-EYiHxOJqxp_BoHckoBHoQ9m5YndeGiaZa4k2v_wgjfFFPLMhthxWXWpkO3ZKlYkKvaqQ2f6j8nbG25f-HXQU7tT8IB-XdN7NpcgV-W8ZRfa9v7S8Xi0Jw/s1600/brooke+Peninsula2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIhAtebH81MAj7txb9xHuBf-EYiHxOJqxp_BoHckoBHoQ9m5YndeGiaZa4k2v_wgjfFFPLMhthxWXWpkO3ZKlYkKvaqQ2f6j8nbG25f-HXQU7tT8IB-XdN7NpcgV-W8ZRfa9v7S8Xi0Jw/s640/brooke+Peninsula2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But was Everitt’s
confidence a confidence of convenience? And just how clean had <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the deal with Cardy wiped the filthy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pleasurama slate? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because despite Cardy’s takeover of SFP
Ventures in 2015 those previously associated with the company continued to lurk
in the shadows from where, I believe, they exercised a powerful influence and
control over the new Pleasurama developers Cardy and its <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>managing director Mike Stannard. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And on what do
I base this assertion? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well in 2014 Cardy
Construction was granted outline planning permission by Waveney District Council
in Suffolk to build a £150million, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>850
house development at the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Marina
site<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lowestoft. As developments go this is
quite substantial and possibly one of the biggest projects Cardy had ever been
involved in. The profit to be made from a development of this size would, I
image, be quite substantial and very, very tempting. But here’s the rub, the
owner of the Brooke Marina site is according to Land Registry, Swiss based
company Flight Services SA. A quick check on the internet reveals that Flight Services
is owned by a Mr Colin Hill. This is the same Colin Hill who was the financier
behind SFP Ventures Ltd. Hill’s father in law is Shaun Keegan who was, until
Cardy and Mike Stannard took over control of SFP , its sole director. Between
them they were responsible for 14 years of inaction at the Pleasurama site and
the long-term blighting of Ramsgate’s seafront which continues to this day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu2igZtqYlpLzMsyH1-tFYEALd596c-NDXYwOeWEk_E8D2wuT_v8XcXVRguBIjsAaTIMXMhB-xLbwu1robSOJXX_72qwDPLqRnYJE8jDG0c80kMEDUzAMVfN28XOcm9OjhYfp_fLMu6AB/s1600/brooke+Peninsula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu2igZtqYlpLzMsyH1-tFYEALd596c-NDXYwOeWEk_E8D2wuT_v8XcXVRguBIjsAaTIMXMhB-xLbwu1robSOJXX_72qwDPLqRnYJE8jDG0c80kMEDUzAMVfN28XOcm9OjhYfp_fLMu6AB/s640/brooke+Peninsula.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So for former
Councillor, Rick Everitt to state in a letter to the Thanet Gazette that the
agreement with Cardy “wiped the slate clean” was not quite true. Cardy
through their Lowestoft link with Colin Hill continued to have a close working relationship
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with the very people who Everett and the
Council claimed to have <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>eliminated from
the Pleasurama equation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would suggest
that this relationship, from Thanet council’s point of view, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was highly risky because the leverage and influence
which could be exercised by the promise of a contract to build <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the £150million Brooke Marina project would
have made Cardy very malleable and highly likely to do the bidding of the
former-SFP people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRfsCAv8M1ectjUnZweSBsf8JkFte3qpV1ox02tFQP4ZGk3KFDwTcf_JM0sTT945ePltrEuJhkITDMK58KEK4pG6MZa4DMhaVpV7VGIJNjgYiML7ertDEuntcynlCiXxNsdiYX88ieXtt/s1600/colin+Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRfsCAv8M1ectjUnZweSBsf8JkFte3qpV1ox02tFQP4ZGk3KFDwTcf_JM0sTT945ePltrEuJhkITDMK58KEK4pG6MZa4DMhaVpV7VGIJNjgYiML7ertDEuntcynlCiXxNsdiYX88ieXtt/s640/colin+Hill.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
Cardy-Hill<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lowestoft link was never a
secret. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the course of the 2014-15
negotiations between Cardy and Thanet Council, it was well know that Cardy had
secured planning permission for the Brooke Marina development and that Colin
Hill was the site owner. In fact a former member of the Friends of Ramsgate Seafront
management committee, Barry James, wrote a blog about this relationship and he
has told me that he spoke to several senior Labour Party councillors about this
matter on more than one occasion. So when Thanet Council and Rick Everitt where
negotiating in 2014/15<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with Cardy about
taking over <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Pleasurama development
contract from SFP Ventures it is extremely likely that they knew all about the
Cardy/ Colin Hill Lowestoft <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>link.
Knowing of this link The Council and Everett must have recognised that Hill was
in a position to exercise significant<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>influence
over Cardy and Mike Stannard. Surely knowing these facts Everitt and the Council
should have exercised much greater caution in their dealings with Cardy and
negotiated a much tougher deal with them, and certainly they should never have
agreed to sell off the freehold of the Pleasurama site to Cardy. But they
appear to have ignored the warning signs and failed to take action to properly protect
the Council’s interests. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Htn7LUR_DJ6dRFM-w4Er8yIi6yhWEW6MZZupH2VOEmQ_qZwLtNsO1CJEKDJ4U1SwAKPwGQwwYhR6BNtYDv6ia2LtAewh2fSxuXv-kYQDIIQQnIda5To_I5UWA1EmiY_Q-He8yEJURU_/s1600/on+pleasurama+site+summer+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Htn7LUR_DJ6dRFM-w4Er8yIi6yhWEW6MZZupH2VOEmQ_qZwLtNsO1CJEKDJ4U1SwAKPwGQwwYhR6BNtYDv6ia2LtAewh2fSxuXv-kYQDIIQQnIda5To_I5UWA1EmiY_Q-He8yEJURU_/s640/on+pleasurama+site+summer+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moving forward
12 months, whatever the reasons for Cardy going bust we might never know. But
it seems more than a co-incidence that Hill, through an offshore Panamanian
registered company, Mintal Inc., lent Stannard and Cardy Ramsgate the money needed to
purchase the Pleasurama site, just days before Cardy Construction entered
administration. There is a charge for this loan registered against the freehold of the Pleasurama site. The question must be asked why this transaction ever took place when Stannard must have already known that Cardy Construction was going to the wall. It also seems strange that shortly after the Pleasurama site had
been bought off the Council<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Cardy had
gone <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>under, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stannard resigned as Director of Cardy Ramsgate
to be replaced <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by long-time associate of
Shaun Keegan and Colin Hill, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>77 year old
accountant Anthony Hollis. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You don’t need
to be the sharpest knife in the box to have realised that Cardy and Stannard’s
continuing association with Colin Hill made the Pleasurama development extremely
vulnerable to an aggressive re-acquisition. And so it turned out, with the land
and the development company now back firmly under the control of Colin Hill. With
a little a bit of forethought and some focused research from Thanet Council <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>possibility <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>would have been clear
and with half decent planning it could been avoided. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is why I
believe Rick Everitt wrote his letter to the Thanet Gazette. He realised his
deal with Cardy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had collapsed and
recognised that those previously associated with SFP,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who had supposedly been “wiped clean”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had
returned and seized control of the Pleasurama freehold. But instead of fessing up
for overseeing and agreeing the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shitty
deal which made this possible <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and taking
some of the responsibility he used his letter to quite shamefully pass the buck
and heap the blame for this entirely<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>foreseeable fuck up on council officers. Like a coward scared of facing the
music Everritt <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>claims in his letter that
he began to have doubts early in 2015 about how council officers were managing
the Pleasurama situation. Surely, if his concerns were genuine, he should have
spoken out at the time, rather than waiting more than 16 months before
expressing his worries. His long silence undermines his credibility and the
timing of his letter is strongly suggestive of watching his backside.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">So<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now
that the Pleasurama deal appears to have collapsed;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>now that the freehold of this<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>prime seafront site has been sold off; now
that the people of Ramsgate are likely to have to face the appalling
possibility of having their seafront blighted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>by this eyesore for many years to come; the Labour Party excuses factory
gears up into action. I wonder who else from the previous Thanet Council Labour
Cabinet will write weasel worded letters to the Thanet Gazette blaming someone
else for their fuck up</span></span></span>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-22928490537628013282016-10-04T14:57:00.000+01:002016-10-04T15:27:46.187+01:00Manston Airport Not Viable Says Avia Report <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XJsNjpRSmSYpA6SPdNuX8KNcwdXfZ818_9Ig8lyQb_dKQjjr3fwGlJS20VyPfGjRX59v_Uv-hRB96rgIGdMrw-Nd8Qz7beCHbyWc-MBKysUSnGaBwYmoFxcGJlcZtwc5eSS07sQuzsp-/s1600/talkPlanB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XJsNjpRSmSYpA6SPdNuX8KNcwdXfZ818_9Ig8lyQb_dKQjjr3fwGlJS20VyPfGjRX59v_Uv-hRB96rgIGdMrw-Nd8Qz7beCHbyWc-MBKysUSnGaBwYmoFxcGJlcZtwc5eSS07sQuzsp-/s640/talkPlanB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Thanet councillor Ian Driver has welcomed the
findings of aviation experts AVIA who in a comprehensive 87 page report
published today, concluded that “airport operations at Manston are very unlikely
to be financially viable”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said Driver, “Whilst
I pay tribute to the hundreds of people who campaigned so hard to save Manston airport
over the past few years, there is now overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that
an airport on the Manston site would not be viable. It’s now time to move on
and support alternative uses for the Manston site”. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Driver, who previously supported the retention of the airport, but then changed his mind in favour of a mixed use commercial and housing development on the former airport site
said “I believe that the plans submitted by Stone Hill Park provide the best
option for the site. The proposals will create hundreds of desperately needed
jobs and training opportunities for local people and will promote more inward
investment and regeneration opportunities which is just what Thanet needs right
now” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQptkGubfJIbHuvS1TKuRg_F9xPkkCzEd0Itg4mcOhteb_hbfrbcC914eByWHuQDKHusuWi0FRs5BfMWfu06o80YPo1jUSQp0kCuIkMEAGubonWx3WjQGXj-U2aa6I8L7StJNLG7uFapQU/s1600/MANSTON1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQptkGubfJIbHuvS1TKuRg_F9xPkkCzEd0Itg4mcOhteb_hbfrbcC914eByWHuQDKHusuWi0FRs5BfMWfu06o80YPo1jUSQp0kCuIkMEAGubonWx3WjQGXj-U2aa6I8L7StJNLG7uFapQU/s640/MANSTON1.jpg" width="602" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“This is a very large brownfield site and the location of
housing on the site, including urgently needed social rented housing, will
reduce the growing pressure to sell off prime agricultural land for development.
I have met with Stone Hill Park on several occasions and have stressed the
importance of ensuring that their development is environmentally friendly
making use of solar, water re-use, and insulation technologies <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and properly integrating their development
into Thanet’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public transport <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>network and providing safe walking and cycling
routes. They gave me the impression that they were very serious about the
environmental impact and sustainability of their development and I for one,
will be keeping a close a watch on their plans and pulling them up if they try
to sell Thanet short”.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Although I understand that many people will be saddened
and frustrated by the AVIA report we all have to accept that we live in a
rapidly changing world and we need to adapt. But one thing is for sure, just as
Manston played a massively important role in the history of Thanet, so it will
play an equally important role in shaping for the future of Thanet for our
children and grand-children”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">Link to the full AVIA report here </span><br />
<a href="https://www.thanet.gov.uk/media/3500741/Final-Report-for-TDC-Manston-Airport-Viability-Oct2017_2.pdf">https://www.thanet.gov.uk/media/3500741/Final-Report-for-TDC-Manston-Airport-Viability-Oct2017_2.pdf</a>Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-90986121653757477632016-09-29T18:48:00.002+01:002016-09-30T15:26:55.525+01:00Farmland Sell Off. Thanet Labour's Environmental Hypocrisy <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSOOT_gJJrv62lh3vYxTpQes5UJG47JKmYCwrk4yPiXYN2-TRnQTBSTv87-e57kzM_78dGTW4jxTCxNO6krdoMJJYbhDFwywitzmh-wYrhw20PyhkC_9ZOzh6Zv2LW6bTIcaC-eC0l8mP/s1600/EKOLabour+.jpg+311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSOOT_gJJrv62lh3vYxTpQes5UJG47JKmYCwrk4yPiXYN2-TRnQTBSTv87-e57kzM_78dGTW4jxTCxNO6krdoMJJYbhDFwywitzmh-wYrhw20PyhkC_9ZOzh6Zv2LW6bTIcaC-eC0l8mP/s640/EKOLabour+.jpg+311.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although I am not a member of his party, as a lifelong
socialist, I support Jeremy Corbyn. I was delighted by his resounding re-lection
as Labour leader this week and am beginning to warm <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to many of his <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ideas and policies which, I must admit, make a
lot of sense to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone with a
great <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>interest in environmental matters
I was particularly impressed by Corbyn’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Environment and Energy Plan which was published a couple of weeks ago and
which focuses on developing renewable non-polluting <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>energy sources and protecting our environment
from over development and exploitation. But regretfully it looks as though the
Thanet Labour Party, especially its elected councillors, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t give a fuck about the environment in their
own neck of woods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last week I published an article on this site about UKIPs
proposals to include 86 acres of council owned farmland in its asset disposal
programme. I pointed out that the land, if its sale is approved, would <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>almost certainly be destined for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>development as <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>housing. I pointed out that its sale would be
contrary to the council’s longstanding policy on protecting Thanet’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>agricultural land and preserving the historic
green wedges which are made up of farmland and which physically <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>separate the Thanet towns and prevent the
district from becoming a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“large amorphous
metropolitan spurge”. I also criticised the Conservative and Labour opposition at
Thanet Council for not saying a word against what I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>described as “UKIP’s environmental vandalism”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully my article had an impact. Well at least as
far as the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet Conservatives are
concerned. Craig MacKinlay MP posted an article on his website about the issue </span><a href="http://www.craigmackinlay.com/news/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.craigmackinlay.com/news/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
and Thanet Council Conservative leader Cllr Bob Bayford made some very sensible
comments, with which I fully agree, about the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>plans to sell the land <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at an emergency Cabinet meeting on 27 October.
But what about Labour?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHho4Upzk7-RQJGzcjiqBCh_aQHpHlAKzeSw1CW0YGN-VDz01p2ZKVy1IWrSJ3iqV-RDVosM-R5BtGrbrMdJvkbdwX4HrBbf4WxRbxXTTqJwDmhSKAQrTJ2gZr5XjiOkIfKBxOKrXun2e/s1600/corbyn+envirment+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHho4Upzk7-RQJGzcjiqBCh_aQHpHlAKzeSw1CW0YGN-VDz01p2ZKVy1IWrSJ3iqV-RDVosM-R5BtGrbrMdJvkbdwX4HrBbf4WxRbxXTTqJwDmhSKAQrTJ2gZr5XjiOkIfKBxOKrXun2e/s640/corbyn+envirment+.jpg" width="448" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well not a single word did they say at the emergency Cabinet meeting which had been specially
called to discuss the land sale issue. In fact people who were at the meeting
have told me that none of Thanet Labour’s 5 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>elected councillors turned up to object to the
farmland sell off plans. Nor, in their absence, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did any Labour councillor submit written
objections to the plans to Cabinet Chair
Cllr Chris Wells. These plans were <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>published on the council’s website <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8 days before the emergency Cabinet meeting took
place. All councillors, including Labour councillors, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had copies of the plans hand delivered to
their homes by special courier service a week before the meeting took place. Presuming
that they actually read the documents, about which I have my doubts, they
should have said or done something to make their objections to the sale of 86
acres of council owned farmland known. Even if they were attending Labour Party
conference, which I understand one councillor was, a quick e-mail to Chris
Wells would have been sufficient. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
they didn’t. They did fuck all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doing nothing is worrying,
not just because Jeremey Corbyn and the Labour Party nationally have robust environmental
policies which their councillor colleagues in Thanet are duty bound to promote,
but also <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because the Thanet Labour Party
also has its own very tough <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>environmental protection policies. In 2011 Thanet
Labour’s council election manifesto said they would oppose “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">encroachment
into Thanet’s green spaces”</i></b>; that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">building on green field sites will be resisted wherever possible</i></b>”
and that they would oppose “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every move to sell off open spaces for
housing</i></b>”. In <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fact so strongly
did Thanet councillors feel about saving green spaces from development that
they staged a protest/ photo opportunity in opposition to developing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>farmland at New Haine Road Ramsgate (see picture above). A
development which is now well underway. More recently during the 2015 Thanet council
elections, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labour published a manifesto which
continued to promote its <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>strong environmental
commitment saying “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will maintain strict environmental controls on developments across
all areas of Thanet, protecting the green wedges”.</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0NmcPJy9_tlfTLjB0kJUMm3VrGNwam3jCjhIEkNVSpHy-ksmeWYBZgboyCvSIbqm363uf24a4GwRTgvsrnQorl7M7lA-4QFHisjG6Y_FSFwW6BAE9kRl0PdlQUpabMswG9X34PaQkcXX/s1600/farmland+not+hosuing+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0NmcPJy9_tlfTLjB0kJUMm3VrGNwam3jCjhIEkNVSpHy-ksmeWYBZgboyCvSIbqm363uf24a4GwRTgvsrnQorl7M7lA-4QFHisjG6Y_FSFwW6BAE9kRl0PdlQUpabMswG9X34PaQkcXX/s640/farmland+not+hosuing+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yet when the first major test
of their environmental credentials came up what happens? No effort was made to
mobilise the hundreds of new Thanet Labour members who, inspired <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by Jeremy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Corbyn, had flocked to join the party. Surely
they would have been delighted to become involved in a campaign to help to save the threatened farmland. But no.
No mass e-mail campaign was organised; no photo opportunities arranged; no
lobby of the Cabinet meeting set up; no press releases issued. Worst of all even
the leader of the Thanet Labour group, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cllr Jenny Matterface, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>couldn’t
be bothered to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>get up of her arse to go
to the meeting to oppose the proposed sell off, or to arrange for someone else
to attend in her place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This disgraceful dereliction
of civic duty left the field open to the
Tories to lead the opposition to UKIPs farmland sell off proposals, which considering
their appalling track record on environmental issues is very ironic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But this is not the first time
Thanet Labour has demonstrated its sickeningly hypocritical attitude towards
environmental issues. Its support of Manston airport, even when the Ramsgate
branch of the Labour Party had called for an environmentally sensitive mixed
use on the site, is a case in point. As is Thanet Labour’s unprincipled flip
flop from opposing to supporting the massively environmental damaging Ramsgate
Parkway station. I publish below links to my previous articles about Thanet
Labour’s two-faced dodgy dealings on protecting our environment. I have also
published a link to a video of the Cabinet meeting which discussed the farmland
disposal which was filmed by Margate campaigner Louise Oldfield.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started this article by
saying that I am a great admirer of Jeremy Corbyn and that I support his plans
and policies. I very much hope that he has the support necessary to drive though
these plans and polices and to transform the Labour Party into a powerful force
for social change. In so doing I hope that those lazy, good for nothing fools
who have the cheek to call themselves councillors, yet sit on their arses
instead of fighting to protect Thanet’s environment, are deselected from being
councillors or expelled for being the useless bastards they are. Getting and replaced by people who genuinely care about Thanet. Getting rid of them might even tempt me to re-join the Labour Party – but there again it
might not. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Video of Cabinet meeting to discuss land sales. Where's Labour Leader? Where's Labour's councillors? Why no written submission? Why no lobby? Do they care about Thanet's environment? </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;">My previous posts of Thanet Labour and Thanet's environment</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/ukips-environmental-vandalism.html"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/ukips-environmental-vandalism.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/parkway-prats-support-station-they-once.html"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/parkway-prats-support-station-they-once.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/building-on-our-greenfields-labours.html"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/building-on-our-greenfields-labours.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-15374738958964931002016-09-25T15:56:00.001+01:002016-09-25T23:32:40.169+01:00UKIP's Environmental Vandalism <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Councillor, Ian Driver, has accused Thanet Council’s
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(TDC) ruling UKIP administration <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of “environmental vandalism”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for bringing forward plans to this <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>week’s Cabinet meeting (27 September)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to sell off 86 acres of council owned
agricultural land (1). <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The seven parcels of land at Dane Valley Road, Millmead
Road and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shottenden Road Margate;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Callis Grange<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Road and Crescent Road in Broadstairs and
Preston Road Manston are being sold as part of an “accelerated” property disposal
programme to raise extra funds to tackle the cash-strapped council’s budget problems.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The land is currently rented to farmers and generates an income
to the council of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£4,500 per year.
However it appears from the disposal report that TDC <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hopes to sell the land to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>property developers so as to maximise income.
Each of the plots are situated next to existing housing developments making the
land more attractive to developers. The Cabinet report also recommends that any
disposal of the land <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should include a clawback provision so that
the Council can share in any future development value</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to Driver, the sale of the land and its use for
development breaches TDCs current planning policy on the protection of agricultural
land which states that <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUB5lmPSaAj9-O-1il6UD_u2f2Pz1qGHUECNhWTbdFJg09yGJ64_9dxY-dYv3_MnWmznnRUuz5WshIP_80Jl-x7xfl22NN3Qapytm0VXx0vXwarQbkVop2p-jiJ6Vt2A-GbDdNKRoAVZ6/s1600/disposal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUB5lmPSaAj9-O-1il6UD_u2f2Pz1qGHUECNhWTbdFJg09yGJ64_9dxY-dYv3_MnWmznnRUuz5WshIP_80Jl-x7xfl22NN3Qapytm0VXx0vXwarQbkVop2p-jiJ6Vt2A-GbDdNKRoAVZ6/s640/disposal.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Extract from Cabinet report showing one of the proposed land disposals</strong></span></td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Agricultural
land concerns have been dominant in determining planning policies and decisions
in Thanet for many years. Thanet's farmland ranks as some of the best and most
versatile productive land in Kent and in the South- East, by virtue of both the
high soil quality, and the extensive and continuous nature of the land in
production. As a national food resource it therefore merits long term
protection from irreversible development (2) <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Much
of the land earmarked for sale also forms part of the so-called “green wedges”
which are areas of open, mainly agricultural,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>land which provide “physical separation between the Thanet towns” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and which “adjoin, penetrate or separate the
urban areas” in order to prevent them from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>morphing into a large urban sprawl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
green wedges are also protected from development because <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the
strong planning protection afforded to high-quality farmland in Thanet has
helped historically to maintain the undeveloped and open character of the Green
Wedges. This positive contribution to Green Wedge purposes has depended in part
on a system of intensive arable farming, that is, large open fields (3) <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJv2XgE6Zi65UJdS0VarDVOgsDdTc49KV9R8tcAWyCOoLA_D3vIz-DmYrLD4z0A_JIB8hjL_PabKGng-tO-VoVD3xA18aKKN2E7VEPZO3JAFxvbbPOEcCAhF8-4gfPFIqP6MvsJSsrx0L/s1600/cpre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJv2XgE6Zi65UJdS0VarDVOgsDdTc49KV9R8tcAWyCOoLA_D3vIz-DmYrLD4z0A_JIB8hjL_PabKGng-tO-VoVD3xA18aKKN2E7VEPZO3JAFxvbbPOEcCAhF8-4gfPFIqP6MvsJSsrx0L/s640/cpre.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>CPRE publication about housing and the countryside</strong></span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said
Driver “if TDCs UKIP controlled Cabinet agrees to sell off the land it
will<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>underme the council's own
longstanding policies of protecting agricultural land and of separating the
Thanet towns though the green wedges system. This would be an act <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of deliberate environmental vandalism which will
set an extremely dangerous precedent and could <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>easily lead to development on yet more
valuable agricultural land, the destruction of the green wedges
and the concreting over of Thanets countryside which will
have a devastating impact on our environment”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although,
on paper, Thanet’s existing planning polices appear to protect agricultural
land and the green wedges system of urban separation, this protection is
extremely weak and far from guaranteed. This is because TDC is one of the few remaining
councils in the UK (part of a group of 53 out of 375) to have failed to have
formally published a Local Plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Without
an approved Local Plan decisions about the development of open spaces and
agricultural land must be based upon the Government’s National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Published in 2012, the
NPPF includes a strong presumption in favour of house building on previously undeveloped
green field sites, such as agricultural land, unless there is an approved Local
Plan in place which includes strong reasons for prohibiting such development. TDCs
lack of a Local Plan therefore makes its agricultural land very vulnerable to development.
In 2014, the lack of a Local Plan with protection for agricultural land<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>led to the Panning Inspectorate permitting, after
an expensive public enquiry, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the controversial development of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a school and 650 houses on farmland adjacent
to the New Haine Road, despites TDCs initial refusal. Having lost the planning enquiry,
TDC was more recently forced, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in July of
this year, to grant planning permission for the massive 750 house Manston Green
development on farmland close to the former airport site. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Driver’s
concerns about development on agricultural land are supported by respected
countryside charity the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) which has
produced extensive research and policy proposals aimed at “saving our countryside
from unnecessary and damaging development” (4). The charity’s Kent branch CPRE
Protect <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kent has campaigned vigorously
and with great success to prevent unnecessary and inappropriate developments on
agricultural land and woodland across the county for many years. Driver has contacted
the group to alert them to the proposals going before the Cabinet and
requesting that they intervene. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Said
Driver “I have always argued that the unacceptable delay in producing a robust
Local Plan, which provides strong protection for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet’s unique and beautiful environment, was
a deliberate decision by the previous Labour administration. This was because Labour
politicians had calculated that by dragging their feet on producing a Local
Plan a window of opportunity would be created <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for speculative developers to stake their
claims on prime agricultural land for profitable <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>housing schemes. These schemes would also generate
massive additional council tax income for TDC. But the need for new homes in
Thanet could have been managed in a different and better ways without the need to
sacrifice and concrete over our open green spaces and irreversibly damaging our
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>environment and food production capacity”.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He
went to say “the silence of the Labour and Conservative opposition on the
Council about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>these extremely damaging proposals,
demonstrates their appalling and shameful <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lack of commitment
to safeguarding our environment. But, I am especially disappointed that the
Thanet Council Labour Group has failed to say a word about this terrible situation
and failed to publically challenge council leader Chris Wells and his UKIP Cabinet
about their unacceptable disposal proposals. I thought that under Jeremy Corbyn’s
leadership the Labour Party was now staunchly pro-environment in its outlook.
But bearing in mind that the council Labour Group is dominated by <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>old-school councillors from the previous administration
- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iris Johnston, Peter Campbell, Michelle Fenner,
and Jenny Matterface, it doesn’t surprise me. These were the people who were directly
responsible for delaying the production of the Local Plan and failing to put in
place policies to protect our environment. Is it any wonder that they are now keeping
their mouths tightly shut and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>turning a blind
eye to the desecration of our environment and the destruction of a legacy for
future generations”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“But”
added Driver “TDCs UKIP leadership does not have to follow the previous Labour
administration’s environmentally destructive policies. I call on them to reject
the sale of the land, which will only generate an estimated £300,000 over the
next 2 years<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and focus instead, on
bringing forward previously developed brownfield land in the council’s
ownership for disposal. I also believe that TDCs precarious financial situation,
resulting from Labour’s toxic £14.5million money-wasting legacy, will inevitably
result in TDC having to increase council tax next year. A small rise in council
tax is much preferable to losing altogether some of our valuable agricultural
land and the seeing the destruction of the green wedges, which have so effectively
prevented <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from becoming a large amorphous metropolitan splurge”.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The report
to Cabinet also includes proposals to dispose of the council owned historic Westgate
and Westbrook pavilions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See
report here<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/documents/g4547/Public%20reports%20pack%2027th-Sep-2016%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/documents/g4547/Public%20reports%20pack%2027th-Sep-2016%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See
current local plan polices relating to agricultural land and green wedges here <a href="http://thanet.devplan.org.uk/document.aspx?document=15&display=chapter&id=119"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://thanet.devplan.org.uk/document.aspx?document=15&display=chapter&id=119</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See 2
above <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See <a href="http://cprekent.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CPRE-manifesto-2015.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://cprekent.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CPRE-manifesto-2015.pdf</span></a></span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-59619277783642062132016-09-22T09:15:00.001+01:002016-09-22T15:07:20.998+01:00Say No To Ramsgate Parkway Station<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Do5MlqSfC_IH6AODfuhVbaQ-wtgBhSIA6_CAwO8eOjNb7eexL2t8hjc3OZAtJKZ4GRuZ6jm7XRDcCFLIlQ9xJ8UtPlG1XqE7gft3kKEAQRb8o9TMgz_HQSc3RGT0UiiIu2VY_HvA0KZW/s1600/No+Parkway2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Do5MlqSfC_IH6AODfuhVbaQ-wtgBhSIA6_CAwO8eOjNb7eexL2t8hjc3OZAtJKZ4GRuZ6jm7XRDcCFLIlQ9xJ8UtPlG1XqE7gft3kKEAQRb8o9TMgz_HQSc3RGT0UiiIu2VY_HvA0KZW/s640/No+Parkway2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Thanet Councillor Ian Driver has called on Kent
County Council (KCC) to abandon its plans to build Thanet Parkway station,
following revelations that anticipated construction costs have soared. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thanet Parkway Business Case</i></b>,
published in March 2014, estimated building costs at £11.2 million (1). But documents
uncovered by Driver which were discussed by the Kent & Medway Economic
Partnership (KMEP) in August (2) show that estimated costs <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have now risen by a massive 83% to almost £21
million (2) in just over 2 years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 2014 the Government agreed to pay £10 million of the
estimated £11million cost of building the station through its Local <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growth Fund, leaving KCC and Thanet Council to
cover the predicted £1million funding gap. With building costs now estimated at
£20.5 million, KCC and Thanet Council would need to find £9.3 million to plug
the funding gap - a highly unlikely prospect given the huge budget reductions
which have been forced upon the two councils. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June 2016 a KCC spokesperson downplayed Driver’s warnings
about escalating Parkway building<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>costs, saying that the “current cost estimate for construction is £16
million” (3). The latest documents reveal that Driver was right all along. The
proposed station will require new control mechanisms and improvements will have
to be made to the Cliffsend level crossing, bringing the total costs to astronomic
£20.5 million (4).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3Xy7uLQxC0piQ76_R0iKcwfCzs-bpdK50SQNfI4oIRGGebx07GYQCuVa_hYJCpiaRxt-5u5O0P8YOrBvMXq6V8JTkAHZdbFvA7VabtN9pJDHVntmRgdn19qfBOkyeUUReoj6EWloq4_m/s1600/parkway+costing+1509.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3Xy7uLQxC0piQ76_R0iKcwfCzs-bpdK50SQNfI4oIRGGebx07GYQCuVa_hYJCpiaRxt-5u5O0P8YOrBvMXq6V8JTkAHZdbFvA7VabtN9pJDHVntmRgdn19qfBOkyeUUReoj6EWloq4_m/s1600/parkway+costing+1509.png" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Driv</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">er<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has condemned
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>politicians for failing to alert local people
to the dramatic cost escalation. He said “This is one of KCC’s most important
and prestigious transport projects. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Information
on the growing construction<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>costs for
the station has been available since January, yet not a single one of Thanet’s
8 KCC councillors has made a public statement about it. They are clearly not
doing their job and failing to keep residents informed”.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He added “Thanet Council’s Joint Transportation Board is
supposed to consider public transport work programmes such as Parkway station <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and be a forum for consultation between KCC
and TDC on policies, plans and strategies for public transport – yet the Board and
its 14 elected councillor members has also failed to discuss Thanet Parkway
station at any of its meetings during <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the past year. This lack of debate about an
important Thanet transport issue is shameful. I wonder what these councillors,
who have special responsibility for transport in Thanet, have be doing whilst
the construction costs of the Parkway station have been skyrocketing?”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Given that all 3 parties (UKIP, Tory & Labour) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and senior KCC and TDC officers are all committed
to supporting Parkway station, my suspicion is that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>debate on the controversial station and its rapidly
growing construction costs is being deliberately and undemocratically stifled
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because the powers that be are afraid of
the resulting <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>outcry, which might put an end to their plans.
In fact an overwhelming majority of the comments submitted by local people
about Parkway station during the 2014 public consultation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>exercise, were opposed to the construction of
the station. No wonders senior officers and politicians want to keep this
quite!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKNDfuyX4RPXNf7XifFbxeW-qHFtFGBur-8rjHYk1G7FhpFRDJUh8WPo7_3XVpjXFr4oLciVGoWf6gsmTPbHsRbz5L3gZJwKLuBSagJ_PedxMACrCbp9t9kyWrIC3A0yfPHIGg93d17Re/s1600/noParkwaysite3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKNDfuyX4RPXNf7XifFbxeW-qHFtFGBur-8rjHYk1G7FhpFRDJUh8WPo7_3XVpjXFr4oLciVGoWf6gsmTPbHsRbz5L3gZJwKLuBSagJ_PedxMACrCbp9t9kyWrIC3A0yfPHIGg93d17Re/s640/noParkwaysite3.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I’ve always argued that Thanet Parkway Station is a
massive white elephant which is not needed. It will actually increase journey
times from existing Thanet stations to Canterbury, Ashford and London, and it
could ultimately lead to the closure of some of Thanet’s town stations. Building
the station will also cause substantial environmental damage. A huge area of
farmland will be concreted over to accommodate the platforms, a 350 space car
park and approach roads. Extra traffic to and from the station will cause
congestion and air pollution in an area which is already very congested. If the
station gets planning permission, property developers will be queuing up to
submit planning applications<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to build
houses on all <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the open farmland around
the site, and if this happens, Cliffsend village will quickly be <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>swallowed up by Ramsgate”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I have talked to many local people about Thanet Parkway
station, and most believe that it would be better to spend money providing more
parking spaces near Ramsgate station, especially on the site of the old
swimming pool, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and improving public
transport links to it. If TDC and KCC plan to continue with this hare-brained
scheme, they will be wasting £21 million of taxpayers’ money on a huge
polluting white elephant that isn’t needed and that nobody wants”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 46.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See <a href="http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/thanet-parkway-railway-station"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/thanet-parkway-railway-station</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then click on Draft Business Case Report.
2014 estimated construction price is on page 1.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 46.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Click
on Related Documents link here <a href="http://kmep.org.uk/documents/KMEP_Board_Papers_-_1_August_16.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://kmep.org.uk/documents/KMEP_Board_Papers_-_1_August_16.pdf</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and see item 9 page 44.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 46.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See
Kent Online <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kent County Council insists Thanet Parkway station won’t be derailed
despite rising costs</i></b> <a href="http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/estimated-costs-of-thanet-parkway-97489/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/estimated-costs-of-thanet-parkway-97489/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 46.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">See
note 2 above.</span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-13509291584535432502016-09-16T14:17:00.000+01:002016-09-16T14:58:14.275+01:00A Week of Live Exports<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-zSwoMLSQwfES59eNRVEgcEVaZ3CHrtjoH1oMoKYcWUqSKQ5YXu8mfSy-NhH7ieHkuSi0UZMVf3yrKkZJhf8c8RQdYYGHmnPnvgUAV7MmYL6V5iZhda-rWer_xuaEJKaMEpbAlDcHQXw/s1600/banliveexports0909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-zSwoMLSQwfES59eNRVEgcEVaZ3CHrtjoH1oMoKYcWUqSKQ5YXu8mfSy-NhH7ieHkuSi0UZMVf3yrKkZJhf8c8RQdYYGHmnPnvgUAV7MmYL6V5iZhda-rWer_xuaEJKaMEpbAlDcHQXw/s640/banliveexports0909.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last week saw
an unprecedented 6 live export shipments in 7 days from Ramsgate Port. At least
15,000 sheep were forced to endure many hours <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>travelling across the country to Ramsgate in
massively cramped conditions, standing in their own excrement, with limited
access to food and water on some of the hottest days of the year. The onward 4
hours journey across the English Channel to Calais is followed by further hours
travelling across Europe to meet a grisly end by cruel ritual slaughter. What’s
happening at Ramsgate is animal cruelty on an industrial scale which, in a modern
world, is morally, ethically and scientifically indefensible. Yet here in the
UK this cruel and barbaric trade is state sponsored and supported by the use of
physical force by government employees.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The export of
live farm animals for slaughter in the EU has been taking place from Ramsgate,
and occasionally Dover, since 2011. To the best of my knowledge these are the
only ports in the UK which are hosting this cruel trade. In that time there
have been more than 120 shipments which have transported over <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a quarter of a million animals to Europe for
ritual slaughter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqcy1vb1jaJTLkRy7bT_WfDSR1kehyiggEi1ie6psnBxCGt47vhjkGTf0hzT9dmmVbpeABqBiEbfVgXEgJdtrzlqJB-lYs5Ubc9SdJ4VFEjpv5W8eQcHW6CIbOEpFtNUlUozMRQz2zKYN/s1600/exports11096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqcy1vb1jaJTLkRy7bT_WfDSR1kehyiggEi1ie6psnBxCGt47vhjkGTf0hzT9dmmVbpeABqBiEbfVgXEgJdtrzlqJB-lYs5Ubc9SdJ4VFEjpv5W8eQcHW6CIbOEpFtNUlUozMRQz2zKYN/s400/exports11096.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The business is
permitted by European free trade regulations <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which treat animals like goods and do not
allow for any discretionary opt-out on the grounds of their welfare or
preventing cruelty. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2012 Thanet
District Council, the owner of Ramsgate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Port,
imposed a temporary ban on live exports <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>following
the tragic destruction <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of 47 sheep at
the port-side because they had been injured during the journey to Ramsgate or where
otherwise unfit to continue their journey. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAef2naNBKmCVCfgDVJgThipXPkvC_hz9PZAaovUYeQGUIftDtuOPVRKHzUxfgQTBo-yC_yEPW_tp6LD1wz0Jkk6sz8qcPC1gKtHO8O1BNTelLxNNk3cSpVRq0JVR9GnQ1ux0q7-aoKP-C/s1600/exports11099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAef2naNBKmCVCfgDVJgThipXPkvC_hz9PZAaovUYeQGUIftDtuOPVRKHzUxfgQTBo-yC_yEPW_tp6LD1wz0Jkk6sz8qcPC1gKtHO8O1BNTelLxNNk3cSpVRq0JVR9GnQ1ux0q7-aoKP-C/s640/exports11099.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The exporters challenged
Thanet Council’s ban in the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High Court.
The judge ruled that by banning live exports from its port the council had
breached EU free trade agreements and that the trade should be allowed to
recommence from the port. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This judgment
opened the doors to the live animal exporters to seek <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>compensation for loss of business during the 5
week period in which the trade was banned. To date Thanet Council has paid out a
staggering £5 million in compensation to those associated with this cruel trade
– <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>payments which many people, myself
included, describe as blood money. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According
to Auditors, Grant Thornton LLP, who have just completed the annual audit of
Thanet Council’s accounts for 2015-16, there is a significant risk that further
compensation will have to be paid to those involved in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Ramsgate live exports business and that
the council should realistically asses and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“provide for this possibility in their forward
financial planning”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TH8Y_q3HYzsszZuRghyphenhyphen4Xqr5EZkImWk4Z82_50_0BHSd0k7sLfTcIBSZip4_ELvxKNnm8S0-1V-aAnChWwfOJ_fwr_gfC4PHs1AvwmyfrW1CGq-LARqddR6-M6Jq3AxTWcObxFcSZ3E5/s1600/exports12099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TH8Y_q3HYzsszZuRghyphenhyphen4Xqr5EZkImWk4Z82_50_0BHSd0k7sLfTcIBSZip4_ELvxKNnm8S0-1V-aAnChWwfOJ_fwr_gfC4PHs1AvwmyfrW1CGq-LARqddR6-M6Jq3AxTWcObxFcSZ3E5/s640/exports12099.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of those exporters who received a share of the
EU blood money <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thomas Edward Lomas. Along with Channel
Livestock Ltd, Lomas was convicted by Dover Magistrates in 2014 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>breaching
the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Welfare
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animals in Transport Order 2006</u></i></b>
and being responsible for the deaths of some of the 47 sheep which had to be destroyed
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at Ramsgate Port in 2012. The court
handed down costs and fines of over £20,000 to Lomas and Channel Exports and
Lomas was sentenced to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a suspended 6
month jail sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incredible <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>seems, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lomas
and Channel Livestock although convicted of animal welfare offences, were able
to share some of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>generous compensation being paid by Thanet
Council<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because the cruel trade they ply
had, according to the High Court, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>been unlawfully stopped by Thanet Council. In,
what can only be described as a travesty of justice, Lomas and Channel
Livestock were being handsomely rewarded for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>their cruelty! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIrkEV63Vqc55xcIpDA78Ak4VLkr9uYGAdR8x_on1ox8N8hMDZGssNCn9uRXpu3pdgYb9u6FYu5e_gxGmhc_zytebzPr6pSVddOt5K29MmYVxOpuBWXBmL8I3Y-q66OXQ4undvV9JG21i/s1600/exports1109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIrkEV63Vqc55xcIpDA78Ak4VLkr9uYGAdR8x_on1ox8N8hMDZGssNCn9uRXpu3pdgYb9u6FYu5e_gxGmhc_zytebzPr6pSVddOt5K29MmYVxOpuBWXBmL8I3Y-q66OXQ4undvV9JG21i/s640/exports1109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But it gets
worse! Not only were tax-payers forced to pay the £5million blood money (compensation)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to the exporters, but they have had to
pay for lots of other things which allow this cruel trade to function. By my
estimate at least <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>£2.5 million has been
spend on policing the demonstrations which have taken place at each of the 120 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shipments from Ramsgate
and Dover since 2011. Another £1.5 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>million, probably more, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has been spent on the 20 plus prosecutions of
anti-live exporter campaigners (most of whom were found not guilty) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the prosecution of the exporters. I reckon
that another £1 million has also been spent processing the travel documentation
of the exporters over the past 5 years and sending Government inspectors to
check, albeit small samples and then not thoroughly, the animals being loaded
on to the ferry Joline at Ramsgate. This means that the taxpayer has paid at
the very least £10 million over the past 5 years to permit the export, in
appalling conditions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of 250,000 sheep
for ritual slaughter in the EU. That works out to be a stare sponsored “sadism subsidy”
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of £40 for each animal. Is it right that
when survey after survey demonstrates that most people oppose this cruel trade,
out Government is happy to subsidise sadism against animals? Had the Government
used taxpayers money and the police force to facilitate the live export for
slaughter of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dogs, cats or horses, then I
suspect there would be revolution on our streets. Yet just like cats, dogs and horses
the 250,000 sheep are sentient beings who experience fear and feel pain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxYcRvwtX8eZMAqglI1CzGYa_k-FpnpsVoQeFrWngb6RUKTMh9SZIw_dCBlpil8ZLIKmZ7GbjfmDghtWCjQrsFK4vwpemO87cjGnuSvEg0MFepN-Ho27T_fuNAOMhJuWlmEzic7aJKyjO/s1600/liveexportsMrsB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxYcRvwtX8eZMAqglI1CzGYa_k-FpnpsVoQeFrWngb6RUKTMh9SZIw_dCBlpil8ZLIKmZ7GbjfmDghtWCjQrsFK4vwpemO87cjGnuSvEg0MFepN-Ho27T_fuNAOMhJuWlmEzic7aJKyjO/s640/liveexportsMrsB.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite feeling
overwhelmed by the power and money which has been brought to bear by the
British state to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>protect<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and support <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a trade which is so obviously cruel and barbarous,
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remain hopeful that it will be
stopped. My faith lies in the fact that support for our campaign in Ramsgate is
growing and spreading. This year, especially <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>during the last couple of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>weeks, more and more people have begun to join
our <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>demonstrations, with almost 200
people coming together for a rally and protest against the shipment last Sunday.
Many of those joining us are young people who are passionate about animal welfare
and I for one am happy to hand over the baton to a new generation who will
stand up for what they believe to be right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqMfwq54GWiN8dwOH3_sjPasRgKxUIgbgfzzkSRGIDqv-oOWx5156a3XqXMOklnXJjbEjMDHYXNKNwoFakovlqfIQLIS7lbB8mSetS6CQ9HBHbk_P_1VfDUPx4WA3ebVK_OZgRRfejmGs/s1600/liveexports29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqMfwq54GWiN8dwOH3_sjPasRgKxUIgbgfzzkSRGIDqv-oOWx5156a3XqXMOklnXJjbEjMDHYXNKNwoFakovlqfIQLIS7lbB8mSetS6CQ9HBHbk_P_1VfDUPx4WA3ebVK_OZgRRfejmGs/s640/liveexports29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My spirits are
also <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lifted by the fact that
internationally a movement against the long distance transportation of live
animals is now beginning to take shape. In Europe there is the Stop the Trucks campaign
which is supported by dozens of animal welfare groups. Here is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the link to their website </span><a href="http://www.stopthetrucks.eu/en/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.stopthetrucks.eu/en/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. Internationally there is the Animals Are Not
Freight campaign (here is a link to their website<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://notfreight.org/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://notfreight.org/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
) which on the 29<sup>th</sup> August organised over 100 events in 33 different
countries across the world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
honoured to be invited to speak at their rally in London, which was organised
by Compassion in World Farming. Cleary a powerful global movement against the
cruel and barbaric long distance transportation of animals is now beginning to
emerge across the world and Ramsgate is at the forefront of that movement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am confident that those people standing up the
for the welfare of animals in Ramsgate, like those who stood up against slavery,
those who fought for votes for women, and those who campaign against racism and
discrimination, are on the right side history and that soon this awful and cruel
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trade will banned across the world.</span> </span>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-48664131370939321992016-09-15T11:11:00.000+01:002016-09-15T17:43:38.999+01:00Margate Dreamland: Auditor Questions Long Term Viability. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s1600/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YXC1TB3vnfXfJ6rbRcV1Hxl6PuFWfueFfuPEBUt9FOT2c9Y18rZV0Q2RuvariINNAUKT8_yPejmyLsG7XQ8aGy6T9AIf_folBbofakPyVBQ87Ryf3yBFcGN_gEZ3_jDz4cgbLXqCImoO/s640/dreamland+public+Inq.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Auditors, Grant Thornton UK LLP, have warned <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanet <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>District Council (TDC) that the “long term viability
of the (Dreamland) theme park may be open to question” and that TDC should ensure
that that it bears in mind the sustainability of the Dreamland project “when
reaching decision regarding the application of any further public funds to the
scheme”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This ominous warning forms part of Grant Thornton’s, soon
to be published, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>annual audit of TDCs accounts for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2015-16. The annual audit also notes that the
council has overspent the Dreamland budget by £1.2 million and highlights the risk
posed to the council by the “site operator (Sands Heritage Ltd) having gone
into administration” earlier this summer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Grant Thornton took the unusual step of identifying
Dreamland as presenting a significant financial risk to TDC and recommending that
an Action Plan is developed by TDC to oversee and closely monitor the troubled
theme park.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Thanet Councillor, Ian Driver, who has published many
articles about Dreamland on his internet blogsite <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ian Driver’s Thanet</i></b> said “allowing
for diplomatic language, Grant Thornton’s comments about Dreamland amount to an
extremely stark warning about the sustainability of the theme park. This is not
the first time such warnings have been issued. In February 2015 GVA Grimely,
one of the country’s largest commercial property consultants warned TDC that “there
is considerable risk associated with the viability in a scheme of this nature”
but this report was withheld from most councillors”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACjGGS4cKKttQZB5sWj3RIgLeyta0byXX8CE7_9YK4JM21VN9Ds7yNolU3E3GKz-GrSJ-dg4kb-GDwvw7lX7Sm30TpDIC7W9Mjy7V3kmn3aoljC_l1nfwKM-352eV_sDW3usIHHQdx5ZH/s1600/dreamland8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACjGGS4cKKttQZB5sWj3RIgLeyta0byXX8CE7_9YK4JM21VN9Ds7yNolU3E3GKz-GrSJ-dg4kb-GDwvw7lX7Sm30TpDIC7W9Mjy7V3kmn3aoljC_l1nfwKM-352eV_sDW3usIHHQdx5ZH/s640/dreamland8.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">He added “according to the Council’s annual accounts £8.961
million of council tax payers money has already been invested by TDC into the compulsory
purchase, restoration and opening of the Dreamland Amusement Park. This does
not include the £900k compensation paid by TDC to Sands Heritage in a settlement
to avoid a breach of contract court case in November 2015. Nor does it include the
outstanding compulsory purchase compensation payment to the former owners of the
Dreamland site which I reckon will be at least £2million. This brings TDCs total
investment into Dreamland to at least £11.861 million or £86 for every man,
woman and child living in Thanet. I have argued for a long time that the problems
faced by the Dreamland Amusement Park are a direct result of managerial incompetence
and poor political leadership by the Labour Party which was running the council
when all the key decisions were taken. I have said it before and say it again;
there needs to be an independent inquiry into the management of this troubled
project”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196642437552790719.post-85682694999145163262016-09-10T13:18:00.002+01:002016-09-10T22:44:06.258+01:00I Grass Myself Up!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdRYdojIDDZKRObF_-3dBQ6vz6FVjBsX2PtV2W7jh2CWeOo46GmzkkcOaOwEU4bP7rG5LZVYhXMk9lofb63TLSrdeNhGGJIm9fJVxQWAj_WMCtlIjftLhqzsqDOMDygz5Gou6DWb-huMq/s1600/shed1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBdRYdojIDDZKRObF_-3dBQ6vz6FVjBsX2PtV2W7jh2CWeOo46GmzkkcOaOwEU4bP7rG5LZVYhXMk9lofb63TLSrdeNhGGJIm9fJVxQWAj_WMCtlIjftLhqzsqDOMDygz5Gou6DWb-huMq/s400/shed1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My shed</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Someone
has quite rightly reminded me that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might
be guilty of hypocrisy and double <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>standards by posting about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 former Labour councilors and their
self-contained flat, when I too had a planning problem 7 years ago. To be
honest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had forgotten about this and I
would like the thank the person who reminded me. You did the right thing. As they say people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I
publish below the full article which was in the Thanet Gazette in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June 2009. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Whilst
I agree that I was ignorant of the planning rules<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and had made a mistake with my shed I did not
try to deceive people or cover up the work I had done. I was up front and open
about it and on discovering I had done something wrong I immediately put it
right to the satisfaction<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the
council. If my memory serves me well, I didn’t even need planning permission <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for the shed it was a permitted development and
the only issue was the height of the roof which I sorted out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
2 former Labour councilors, on the other hand, appear to have acted in a different way to me. Evidence from reputable and official sources shows that they converted their basement into a
self contained flat without planning permission or building regulation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>approval which is normally required for such
work. This is particularly surprising when it is borne in mind that one of the 2 Labour councillors concerned was in charge of Thanet Council's planning services for several years. Evidence also shows that there has been failure to notify Thanet Council and the Government
Valuation Office of the existence of the flat so that it can be entered on to
the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Council Tax register and any consequent tax
liabilities paid up to date.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtkpcciUBu_x1aeXhIIyifevhO1bV8wrtmMuap9g0eNax6QqfBTRaIb4EJJAB51fYjmuimjvPpR66hCZZHb0pxmLHp6mkVTGyWJxvNykipeeabxWcSFWwTkhH9GDElwUg8UkHJBUYpolE/s1600/greensbasement3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtkpcciUBu_x1aeXhIIyifevhO1bV8wrtmMuap9g0eNax6QqfBTRaIb4EJJAB51fYjmuimjvPpR66hCZZHb0pxmLHp6mkVTGyWJxvNykipeeabxWcSFWwTkhH9GDElwUg8UkHJBUYpolE/s640/greensbasement3.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Green's self contained basement flat</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 2 former Labour Councillors
have also instructed their estate agent to change the description of what's in their basement. For 19 weeks the
Ward & Partners website described their house as having a self-contained basement
flat which was “perfect for an additional income”. It also included a
statement from the 2 former councilors that they had “most recently converted
the lower ground floor area into a self contained flat”. </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Within 24 hours of me
publishing an article about the lack of planning and building control approval
for the conversion and raising issues about Council tax liability the wording
on the Ward and Partners web site was mysteriously changed to read that the
basement <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“has the potential to be used
as used as a one bedroom self contained flat”, a phrase which is also repeated
in the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>revised property owners statement
on the Ward and Partners website as well. These amendments appear to be, what many people might think is, an effort by the 2
former Labour councillors to back-track on the original description and muddy
the waters about what is in their basement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
would strongly <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>advise the 2 former Labour
councillors to follow my example and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>be up
front and honest about their basement as I was about my <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shed. They should contact Thanet Council’s planning team and seek advice
on the need for retrospective planning and building regulation
approval and they should also seek to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> establish </span>
the Council Tax position of their basement through discussion with the Valuation Office and
Thanet Council. These are actions which most people will agree are right and proper in a case uncertainty, especially if those concerned are prominent citizen who have occupied senior political positions for many years. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anything
less, is likely to lead to allegations and suspicions of deceit and dishonesty within the community, which for 2 former
and very senior Labour Councillors <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who
set the rules for the others, would be very damaging to their reputation. </span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One final thought on this matter. I have been attacked on Facebook by several Labour Party members for publishing my articles about the 2 former Labour councillors. I have been accused of victimisation, on line bullying and egotistical self promotion. This is utter nonsense. My articles were based entirely on up to date information from reputable and official sources freely available on the internet. Also public figures such as myself and the 2 former Labour Councillors should expect to be the subject of comment and often criticism about their views and behaviour - they call this democracy and its an important way of ensuring accountability. It just seems very odd to me that those attacking me were only too keen to criticise the UKIP Leader of Thanet when he failed to pay his council tax, but when it comes to a member of their own political tribe they circle the waggons and refuse to admit that their might be a problem. </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Surely the right and honest thing for Thanet Labour to do is to investigate the serious issues I have raised rather than shooting the messenger with false claims of bullying and harassment. To brush this issue under the table will be seen by many as a dishonest political cover up that will damage further the reputation and credibility of a party which has already cost the taxpayers of Thanet £14.5 million due to the incompetence and maladministration when it ran the council. </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">As a lifelong socialist I really hoped that under Jeremy Corbyn labour would be more open and honest in its dealings with the public. Cleary here in Thanet this is not happening.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanet Gazette <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June 2009 <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Head of Thanet’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has admitted he should have got
more guidance before building a huge shed in his garden. Ian Driver was given
the green light to build a small tool shed behind his home in Seaview Road,
Broadstairs, earlier this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But
after seeing how the building had outgrown the original designs, the town’s
planning committee recommended the building be refused retrospective planning
permission at a meeting last week. Looking at photos of the site, mayor Mave
Saunders said: “It’s clearly too tall and not at all like your common garden
shed. It’s three and a half metres wide and so tall it must be a problem for
the next-door neighbours.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mr
Driver’s retrospective planning application will go before Thanet council
planning officers, but he says he has already accepted he will have to change
the building.The CAB chief said: “I admit that I got it totally wrong and I
misread the planning restrictions. They are quite complicated, but I should have
got more advice about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I’ve
now got to take the roof off and replace it with a flat one, which is costing
me a couple of grand to put right.“I just wanted a place to keep my tools and
have somewhere nice to sit out in the summer, but I can see why the town
council have got upset about it. I would advise anyone who’s unsure about what
planning permission allows them to do to see the experts. I wish I had now.”</span></span></span></div>
Ian Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956304869323562491noreply@blogger.com8