"Patsies?" (Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats)

Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats <info@barnetlibdems.org.uk>

"Patsies?"

November 14, 2009 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times

Two planning meetings attended this week. On Tuesday the Finchley and Golders Green Planning Sub Committee met for its regular monthly get together. On Thursday the main Planning Committee sat in judgement.

I thought I was in for the long haul on Tuesday when I saw the list of speakers. Incredibly we finished in forty five minutes. This was because the item which attracted the most interest was deferred; more of that later.

The meeting got off to strange start. The Chairman, in one of his good moods, warmly welcomed members of the public. He explained the arrangements for public speaking. He added that the public should not be anxious about addressing the Committee as "we are all patsies". Or was it "popsies"? The definition of a patsie is a person easily taken advantage of, cheated, blamed, or ridiculed. So let's move on quickly.

The first planning application to be called was in my ward. The speakers were not there. I stopped the Chairman from proceeding in their absence and suggested we hold off in case they were delayed. So we moved on to Wessex Gardens School.

The public had turned out in force for this on. The school had done a good lobbying campaign and loads of people had turned up to support. These included some notable grandees of a certain political party. There were also objectors.

So what was this all about? Many years ago the school had erected advertising hoardings along its boundary on the Hendon Way. Past planning committees had given the School temporary planning permission so that they could find an alternative method for screening their school from the busy Hendon Way. Meanwhile a planning inspector had considered a formal appeal by the school and concluded that the hoardings should go. The Inspector ruled that they should be given time.

Well the time was now up and D day had arrived. The school was now applying for permanent retention of the hoardings. Apart from anything else the advertising provided a regular income stream. The Planning Officers were recommending refusal. The look on the faces of the school's supporters promised a head on clash. The Chairman then stunned everyone by announcing a deferment for three months for legal advice and for the school to consider further actions.

So that was that. We then went back to the application in my ward. The speakers had arrived. Actually they had been at the Town hall on time but had gone to the wrong planning committee. They were not pleased to hear that as the application under consideration was a renewal of an existing consent and as nothing had changed the Committee had little choice but to approve. There remained the mystery why none of them apparently knew about the original application which had been determined by Officers. The planning file had evidence that letters had been sent out. The objectors countered otherwise. I must admit that had the original come to committee I would have voted against it.

So onwards and upwards to next week's two day marathon Brent Cross special planning meeting. The meeting has already been postponed twice. So a third set of papers (400 pages) dropped on my doormat earlier this week. You know Planning brings out the best and worst out of people. Generally our residents rise to the occasion and make their objections in a constructive and considered way. Unfortunately one or two individuals objecting to Brent Cross believe the way to our hearts and minds is by circulating scurrilous anonymous leaflets or making personal attacks on officers………. Fortunately we are not all patsies.