Not much more you can say about this really other than sheer amazement that anyone would think a report credible or independent enough to be presented to the Planning Committee that involves the developer Freshwater and prospective tenant Tesco. So to convince the Planning Committee to give the green light, TDC agreed to commission a report that was funded by Freshwater and as a suitable consultant they chose a firm who have a long standing relationship with Tesco Stores. More on the Arlington Blog.
TDC's press statement:
30 September 2011 10:34
Arlington Statement
Thanet District Council commissioned the report, so that the professional duty of care was owed to the council for the advice received. The council paid for the report and were reimbursed by the developers. The report will be assessed independently by English Heritage and the council’s planning and conservation teams and this will be reported to the Planning Committee.
What part of "The report will be assessed independently by English Heritage" don't you understand?
ReplyDeleteThe writer of the report will have a duty of care to the existing client (Tesco) which would override the duty of care to the new client TDC and the fact that Freshwater are paying for the report may suggest to some, that this is not as independent is it is claimed. Also the fact that the "independent heritage advisor actually market's himself as specialising in getting large buildings and supermarkets into difficult areas of cultural and historic value shows he has an agenda.
ReplyDeleteSo we should trust English Heritage's decisions when they grade buildings but not at other times, is that correct?
ReplyDeleteJust glad we council tax payers did not pay for it. Perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies not to mention that any improvement Arlington House and its arcade has to be a plus. It could hardly be worse than what we have at present.
ReplyDeleteHAS ANYBODY READ THE TRAFFIC SURVEY TO SEE HOW MANY CARS AND LORRIES THAT WILL BE GOING TO THE TESCO STORE AND THE TRAFFIC JAMS THAT WILL RESULT IN MARGATE BEING GRIDLOCKED?
ReplyDeleteK.C.C OWN REPORT SAYS THAT THERE WILL BE TRAFFIC QUEUING ALONG THE SEAFRONT PAST THE CLOCK TOWER TO THE HARBOUR AND WILL BLOCK CECIL SQUARE.
IF PEOPLE THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR MARGATE JUST TO GET THE SITE IMPROVED THERE ARE OTHER WAYS IT CAN BE DONE
Ouch, my ears!
ReplyDeleteSo Freshwater paid for the council report which was written by Tesco's consultancy firm. This will be independently assessed by a government Quango, English Heritage. Great. Meanwhile TDC has allowed rabbit hutches to be built on the roundabout by the proposed delivery entrance for the Tesco. The roundabout will now have to be altered, at taxpayer expense, to enable access for the Tesco trucks. Do we really want a permanent traffic jam on the seafront? This store is really for the people in Westbrook. Why don't they build one on the site of the old garage which is now derelict? Or they could just stick it in the Sea-Bathing where Paigle has run out of money. Morrisons and Iceland are enough for Margate. People mostly eat chips and beans here anyway. Any rich person with a car goes to Westwood. Besides, the sewers on the front will be overloaded by Tesco bags and receipts and people being sick after eating their cheap pies. The whole thing is a sick joke, typical of the graft and venality of TDC, Tesco and Freshwater. Maybe if TDC had not let Godden build his crappy flats at the back of Dreamland they could have put the access road there. Let's face it , the whole front needs pulling down. Apart from Wetherspoons the upper floors of all those buildings are unoccupied and disintegrating rapidly. Since Godden's Gap was, er, established the adjacent buildings have developed severe cracking. Why not just start again with a spectacular new fun park with beachfront access? Maybe there would even be room for a Tesco. Sadly this will never happen because we have to hold on to decrepit 1830's housing thanks to precious tyrants like English Heritage. Now the taxpayer is going to have to fork out £1million to refurbish a scenic railway torched by someone's little helpers. Why not just build a better new one? Why am I wasting my breath? The town will carry on drifting downwards as it has been for the past 40 years. TDC is nothing but a bunch of shyster scumbags led by a degenerate hamster. Anyone who believes otherwise is a delusional prozac sociopath. Which is why they were sent down from London with their umpteen psychotic ADHD brats. Mmm, time for a large whisky methinks. With a Special Brew chaser. If you can't beat the Flotsam, join them. Better still move to The Plains of Waterloo for a better class of wastrel. Plus they have a Waitrose in Ramsgate. Ooooh!
ReplyDelete