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"Withdraw" cry councillors |
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The usual political knock-about in Richmond's Council Chamber took a more serious turn at the council meeting on Tuesday 10 December when opposition members demanded withdrawal of accusations that they voted along party lines over a planning application.
The applicant is the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, which is the Council, whose own planning committee therefore makes the decision on whether to permit the application or not. The planning committee refused the application on the grounds that it failed to provide sufficient affordable housing, in line with the borough's own directives. There have been other arguments centred around the provision of affordable housing, one of which resulted in a councillor being censured at a hearing of the Standards Committee and another about an article on the government's E-Planning Portal website. The opposition councillors demanded that Cllr Jowit withdraw his suggestion that they colluded in making the decision for a refusal of the application, pointing out that two Conservative members had also come to the same conclusion: that the application should be refused. "Withdraw, withdraw," called Cllr Martin Elengorn, Liberal Democrat, "It's disgraceful."
"The administration should not undermine the planning process and this should be withdrawn," he insisted. But Cllr Jowit said he was certain that the opposition councillors had made up their minds as a group to refuse the application. Cllr Nicholas True, deputy leader of Richmond Council and Cabinet Member for Strategy and Resources, attempted to calm the situation but his suggestion that the opposition councillors may have grouped outside of the planning committee brought further cries of protest.
Cllr True stated that the council wished to achieve the maximum gain from disposals and developments of its own properties solely to put the income towards improved services for residents. The debate arose following a question tabled at council by Cllr Jowit: "Would the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategy and Finance please comment on the financial implications of the refusal, by the Planning Committee, to approve the application for 40 Cambridge Park Road (04.1660/FUL)?" See the planning application online for 40 Cambridge Park See also the discussion online about affordable housing Wednesday, December 15, 2004
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Cllr
Robin Jowit, a Conservative, suggested that the Liberal Democrats
made up their minds as a group in refusing a planning application
for 40 Cambridge Park Road, Twickenham, a council-owned property,
rejecting a proposal to demolish, convert and extend it to provide
13 self-contained flats and a care home with rooms for eight residents,
along with parking, turning and landscaping.
Cllr
Serge Lourie, opposition leader, said his colleagues were not voting
along party lines but upon proper considerations.
"I
said that it isn't for me to comment on the motives of individuals,
and everyone on the planning committee in this borough must be considered
to vote on planning matters," continued Cllr True. "But
I regret to say there is a perception on the support they have given
to any council application on a property disposal with a view to getting
service improvements and that it is on a political basis outside planning
committee."
