Council spend £60,000.00 on planning permission they already had! Options

[Andy Capp]

Did anyone see the story that Greenham Council have spent ~£60,000.00 on planning permission for the Greenham Control Tower when they already had it! 'LOL'

[blackdog]

I saw the headline, but haven't read the article. It struck me as odd - it obviously isn't correct.

Planning permission expires after 3 years, so there was no planning permission. What there was was an approval of 'change of use' to that suitable for a cafe/visitor centre. I guess this is where some cash was wasted, but I'd want to see where the figure of £60k comes from? Does it include the architects fees for instance, which would have been needed in order to get the detailed planning permissions to convert a listed building, regardless of the change of use issue.

[Andy Capp]

£60,000.00 is what Billy Drummond was reported to have said: "That decision cost us £60,000.00 and we needed every penny of that money".

[Phil_D11102]

Did anyone see the story that Greenham Council have spent ~£60,000.00 on planning permission for the Greenham Control Tower when they already had it! 'LOL'

It just goes to show the incompetence of those in power..

[je suis Charlie]

I would say it beggars belief, but of course it doesn't. Not anymore.

[Andy Capp]

To be fair, it would seem that according to Julian Swift-Hook, it is a West Berkshire Council balls-up. Greenham Parish Council were not made aware of the change of use approval until recently and only after it had cost them 'tens of thousands of pounds'.

[Cognosco]

To be fair, it would seem that according to Julian Swift-Hook, it is a West Berkshire Council balls-up. Greenham Parish Council were not made aware of the change of use approval until recently and only after it had cost them 'tens of thousands of pounds'.

Probably one of their now famous Administrative errors, they have had five now I do believe in association with the Faraday Road Development, still no harm done no need for any one to be held to account as it has only wasted taxpayers money! As usual!

[je suis Charlie]

Meanwhile,,
http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/16...decided-on.html

Anyone spot the irony?

[On the edge]

Why is anyone surprised about this?

Of course, blame 'the staff', nice easy target; especially as recent events clearly demonstrate they aren't lead or managed effectively.

Questions I'd like answered are such as, where is effective monitoring and regulation of parish spending, why are the main stream parties so short of competent candidates that they need to double or triple hat Councillors - rendering them overburdened, over wrought and ineffective. what gave Greenham Parish the view that it had the financial and project management competence to do the job, when clearly it's far bigger peer didn't, where are the Regulators when we need them?

This whole thing yet again simply demonstrates parish level Councils are an massively expensive and wholly ineffective luxury.

[Exhausted]

what gave Greenham Parish the view that it had the financial and project management competence to do the job, when clearly it's far bigger peer didn't, where are the Regulators when we need them? .

Julian Swift Hook no doubt. Something of an empire builder perhaps and an "I can do anything" belief in his own ability.

[Exhausted]

Did anyone see the story that Greenham Council have spent ~£60,000.00 on planning permission for the Greenham Control Tower when they already had it! 'LOL'

For the life of me I cannot see why a figure of £60k is being quoted for a planning application. How much does WBC charge for an application, just a few quid even on a large application. Who has pocketed this amount. Solicitors perhaps following the lead of their bigger brother Newbury Town Council or perhaps planning consultants but that can't be the case as that was done ages ago prior to work starting. Was there some forfeit that had to be paid to the Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife trust as they seemed to be the major body with an axe to grind. I doubt we will ever know as secrecy is the forte of parish councils and JSH will be well versed in that as a councillor on both Greenham and NTC.

[On the edge]

So what happens now?

Nothing.

The dogs will bark but the caravan keeps moving on.

[The Hatter]

It shows there is no point in voting. Same people elected back and still not saying anything. Glad I didn't waste my time at least.

[Andy Capp]

Err, in this case it was allegedly an officer error, not a councillor one.

[On the edge]

Err, in this case it was allegedly an officer error, not a councillor one.

Yeah, that's right; nothing to see here, let's move on,.... fast as you can now.

[Andy Capp]

Yeah, that's right; nothing to see here, let's move on,.... fast as you can now.

unless of course you know for fact that isn't so?

[On the edge]

unless of course you know for fact that isn't so?

...and therein lies the rub; why bother with facts, no one else seems to.

[blackdog]

For the life of me I cannot see why a figure of £60k is being quoted for a planning application. How much does WBC charge for an application, just a few quid even on a large application. Who has pocketed this amount.

The provision of an environmental impact assessment - to counter opposition by BBOWT to the change of use - would (I am guessing) have cost a tidy sum. Plus legal advice, plus planning advice.

£60k still seems a lot though - I do wonder if it includes the architect's fees, which would have been incurred regardless.

[Lolly]

The provision of an environmental impact assessment - to counter opposition by BBOWT to the change of use - would (I am guessing) have cost a tidy sum. Plus legal advice, plus planning advice.

£60k still seems a lot though - I do wonder if it includes the architect's fees, which would have been incurred regardless.

Do you know whether WBC Issued an EIA screening opinion requiring a full EIA? If so, it does seem extraordinary that they didn't pass on the information that they had already granted permission for change of use. As has been said previously we are a little short of facts here. Has anybody tried to access the planning history online? Shouldn't it be publicly accessible?

[blackdog]

Do you know whether WBC Issued an EIA screening opinion requiring a full EIA? If so, it does seem extraordinary that they didn't pass on the information that they had already granted permission for change of use. As has been said previously we are a little short of facts here. Has anybody tried to access the planning history online? Shouldn't it be publicly accessible?

The planning history back to the 1980s (perhaps earlier) is publicly accessible - but you have to go to the Council Offices as much of it is archived on fiche.