Lewes Forum thread

Go on, tell 'em what you think

Lewes Forum New message

malling

On 8 Jul 2008 at 2:17pm Gardiners Question Time wrote:

I have just read a very bizarre letter in the Sussex Express, penned by Cllr Gardiner. He seems to be completely contradicting what was said the previous week regarding a dodgy development on the flood plain.
Could anyone provide more back ground, as I want to investigate this.
I would also like to know why this man is fre to promote his own view of planning decisions, even though he is on the planning committee, whilst none of the other Councillors will even emit a squeak.

On 8 Jul 2008 at 3:25pm X wrote:

He is a Lib Dem. By definition he is allowed to contradict himself constantly.

On 8 Jul 2008 at 4:27pm Local wrote:

Gardiners Question Time - I think we'd have to have a bit more info about the letter (without having to go to the trouble of going to buy a copy of the paper). Can you put it on here?

On 8 Jul 2008 at 6:31pm S.oliver wrote:

the letter referred to reads,
Anthony Dicks conveniently forgets the environment agency has built the lewes Malling flood protection. the 28 homes at clayhill Nursery Lewes (25% affordable homes) have 1 in 200 year return flood protection. He implies Lewes district Council should refuse permission for a flood protected site on flooding grounds. That would just waste 50,000pounds of ratepayers money losing an appeal. he tells readers 'considerably more' objections were ignored in the second. i read both files. Four objections the first time, and three the second. (two repeated) in response to more than 80 letters of consultation. all five, including those from RAID (residents against inappropriate development) and their expert were unsustainable. No statutory consultees objected. Lewes town Council praised the development. So the application was correctly determined under delegated powers, like 90% of planning applications. This is not 'cynical abuse' but normal UK planning practice. But where where Anthony Dicks and RAID when the Wenban smith went to public inquiry this week? LDC refused this application on flooding grounds (as well as other issues) Friends of lewes spoke in support of LDC on this highly visisble site. Did Anthony Dicks and RAID or other planning protest groups even attend? Why do they not support thier own Council when it resists poor development on the flood plain, but attack LDC when houses are protected"
Just writing this letter out makes one wonder about Cllr gardiners state of wellbeing. it is aggressively defensive and he writes in a slightly unhinged manner. The unfortunate pun 'flooding grounds' seems to have escaped his notice.

On 9 Jul 2008 at 12:47pm Oldcynic wrote:

I objected to the first planning application on the grounds of the flooding issue (the whole site was under several feet of water in 2000) and the traffic issue (a fast dangerous road with limited visibility splay). After a year only three properties have been sold (several are "reserved" and have been for months). The 'affordable' properties all sold fast. I did not think it woth objecting to the next application as I thought it was probably a done deal

On 9 Jul 2008 at 1:24pm Local wrote:

It's not difficult to see where Gardiner's mind is going. At the Lewes Flood Action meeting a few months ago he as good as said Angel would get permission for an application to build 700+ flats on the Phoenix flood plain BECAUSE they would be offering to build flood protection. A*se about face we used to call that kind of thinking. The man is a dangerous menace and the LibDems should think carefully about his position.

On 9 Jul 2008 at 9:09pm Geoff. wrote:

What puzzles me is that Cllr Gardiner criticizes RAID and Anthony Dickes for not taking an interest in Wenban, whilst commending The Friends of Lewes, yet RAID were in attendence at the inquiry, and Anthony Dicks is an active member of the 'Friends of Lewes'

On 10 Jul 2008 at 9:29am Local wrote:

Hear, hear Geoff. And Anthony has probably done more than most in the last few years to put what's going wrong with LDC planners on the agenda.

On 10 Jul 2008 at 9:31am CommieRat wrote:

That's probably why Gardiner was having a particular go at him. Anthony should stand for LDC as an Independent, as should John Stockdale. They would shake things up a bit.

On 10 Jul 2008 at 9:39am Geoff wrote:

I look forward to Cllr Gardiner apologizing in the paper to both people concerned. Someone has already asked when Jenny Mumford will get an apology.
Quite a list building up.