Wednesday, December 19, 2007

URGENT NEWS UPDATE

OCKENDON CONCERNED RESIDENTS’ ACTION GROUP (OCRAG)

URGENT NEWS UPDATE

DEVELOPMENT AT BENTONS FARM

Since our last note to you in early November, the Committee has been chasing the Council Officers through every means at our disposal, to get answers to a number of issues, some of which remain unanswered, or at the very least, an unsatisfactory response.

Despite the earlier meeting with Council Officers, they still fail to adequately answer the most basic of requests. We set out below a number of points which you may find alarming:

Q. The Council gave extensive time to submit a Planning Application, what is the current status?

A. A PLANNING APPLICATION REF 07/01309/FUL WAS SUBMITTED ON 17/12/2007 FOR A CHANGE TO B1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USE, WITH 21 DAYS TO OBJECT.

Q. What is T&S Multiservices doing on the Bentons Farm site?

A. CONTINUING TO RUN A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING THIS AS BEING THEIR HEAD OFFICE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 5 MONTHS.THE COUNCIL SAY “THEY CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS” – WHY?

Q. T&S Multiservices continue to park “plant & equipment” on site (including decontamination units, which are being used for removing contaminants, including asbestos) in areas not covered by the original Stop and Enforcement Notices.

A. WE HAVE ASKED THE COUNCIL TO EXPLAIN WHY AND TO EXTEND THE NOTICES TO COVER THE WHOLE OF THE SITE.

Q. Why were T&S Multiservices allowed to fell the trees and rip out the shrubs?

A. THE COUNCIL HAVE NOW CHANGED THEIR VIEW AND ADMIT THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED, ESPECIALLY AS THERE WERE CONDITIONS ALREADY IN PLACE APPLICABLE TO THIS SITE, WHICH HAVE BEEN BREACHED.
WE HAVE ASKED THE COUNCIL WHEN THIS MATTER WILL BE ENFORCED, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TREES.

Please raise the questions posed above with the following officers of the Council: Remember –

THE COUNTIL’S SLOGAN IS “PUTTING RESIDENTS FIRST”. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THIS IN ACTION? IF YOU WISH TO FORMALLY OBJECT TO THIS APPLICATION, PLEASE WRITE TO THE FOLLOWING QUOTING REF. NO. 07/01309/FUL

Terry Hipsey,
Leader of the Council,
Thurrock Council,
Civic Offices, Grays RM17 6SL
Tel: 01375 366321
thipsey@thurrock.gov.uk
.
Andrew Millard
Head of Strategy
Thurrock Council,
Civic Offices, Grays RM17 6SL
Tel: 01375 652652
.
Paul Clark
Principal Planner
Thurrock Council,
Civic Offices, Grays RM17 6SL
Tel: 01375 652273

OCRAG will continue to fight to stop these business operations at Bentons Farm, but we still need your active support. We have engaged a specialist solicitor to advise us with regard to future actions.


IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PASS ON ANY COMMENTS TO US, PLEASE USE OUR WEBSITE: http://www.ocrag.blogspot.com/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Everybody should make the objection on the Planning Applications response page, on the Thurrock Council Website.
It does work and gets attention of the Planning Committee. I had objected to a previous application by a company in the Industrial area of Ockendon, who wanted to process the Asbestos Waste on site. These too, store Units on their site. Their application was rejected.
What worries me is, how much backhander dosh is going on.
I believe the Council Officers involved should be investigated by the Police, because their attitude is very suss.
There is some spin going on at the moment, alledging that Labour was giving contracts for Favours when they had council.
This I believe, is a Tory Council trying to take the heat off the Council Officers because they are as guilty as hell, maybe?