Well, I never …
Talk about your Town Hall Politics … !
I’m just thankful I was wearing brown underwear, tonight, let’s put it that way …
Now, as you’ve probably guessed, there’s been quite a bit of fuss about the flats that Taylor Wimpey were — were, I should stress — planning to put on Saint James Road.
Notice I said were … ?
Because I was at the meeting of Brentwood Council’s Planning meeting, tonight, along with both Movie Night Adrian, and another neighbour and one or two of the neighbours, as well …
As it turns out, the various rules and regulations of the Planning Committee meeting debates of these things allow for a person objecting to the any such plans — as well as someone in favour of them — to speak for three minutes on why they think the plans are a bad move.
Or a good idea, depending.
Guess who volunteered to speak as an objector … ?
I’m a tart for the attention, aren’t I … ?
And, yep, that was me that volunteered to speak against the plans.
Not for very long, granted, but I think I managed to make my point.
Or points …
You only actually get three minutes to speak, and I don’t actually think I used all of them: I know one of my next door neighbours managed to do an audio capture of the relevant part of the meeting, but I’m not sure I timed myself: I do know I felt nervous.
And, yes, I know that many of my neighbours who were there told me I did fine.
And, yes, I also know I ran pub quizzes for six years.
But that doesn’t exactly stop stage-fright!
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At any rate, the initial procedure — for me — was sort of fascinating to watch. Although I think I’d be bored out of my skull having to do that all of the time.
None the less …
Hmm …
The whole thing opened with the Planning Committee’s chairman — Councillor McCheyne, if I’ve got this right — making some basic opening statements, introducing the various councillors involved, and — in the case of the Saint James Road site — telling us all that it had been recommended for refusal.
Which I’am assuming is on the basis of the various petitions — like the one organised by Councillor Chilvers, pictured — and objections already received.
But the fact that someone was there to object — and no-one was there to seemingly speak in favour?
Hopefully that helped!
Councillor McCheyne also — in his introduction — also told everyone about exactly which committee members could and couldn’t vote on each application. I’m not too sure if I got the straight of that, but — if I’ve understood it correctly — it appears that any councillors who’ve already spoken out about an application are assumed to be already biased for or against: I’m hoping that Councillor Chilvers — and Movie Night Adrian, who was there, and quietly disagreed about that, afterwards — will leave a comment or two.
Actually, Councillor Chilvers was one of the Committee members who had her vote on the application disallowed: on that very rule.
However, both her and Councillor Holmes*, who’s one of the other two Councillors for the Brentwood West ward, did have a chance to speak about this: both against, I should add.
(Before I forget, we also had some explanatory comments from one of Brentwood Council’s officers, detailing the various clauses in the application, and a question from Councillor David Kendall, the Lib-Dem Essex Council member for the area, asking if he could be allowed to speak.)
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So …
With all of the talk … ?
(Very tempting to use the word verbiage, there, but never mind …)
Well …
I’m hoping I’ve got something of a scoop, here …
But the net result of all of the talk … ?
Is that Taylor Wimpey’s plans to build 71 flats on Saint James Road have been — wait for it — REFUSED!!
Phew!!
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The big question … ?
The big question, of course, is what happens next.
To be frank … ?
I’m not too sure.
I do know that there was a heck of a lot of comment from various Committee members that made a lot of the fact that Taylor Wimpey and Crest Nicholson had — as part of the planning application that got Rollason Way originally built — agreed to build some sort of amenities area, something I know I wasn’t aware of.
In fact, one Councillor, whose name I didn’t catch, was insistent that some sort of play area’s be built: his word’s were that not to have them was “sullying the memory of Helen Rollasonº”: who he’d known personally, and after whom Rollason Way was named.
Well …
Let me re-phrase that earlier phrase to ‘it’s something I was reminded of’: I can dimly remember the signs up for ‘The Base’ — Crest Nicholson’s name for the bit of the estate that they’d constructed — that promised a certain amount of park. There’s none of that visible from my front or back windows.
Unless you count Brentwood Station’s car-park, over the road, but I don’t think that’s what meant.
At any rate, I do know me and the neighbours got nattering on the way back. To a man, we all agreed that — hopefully — that patch of grass should either be kept as a patch of park.
Or maybe have a community hall built on it.
Here’s hoping …
* Councillor Holmes isn’t on the Committee: but had the chance to speak as one of the Councillors representing the area.
º Sports reporter, Helen Rollason lived in Brentwood up until her death in 1999: Rollason Way is named after her, and all of the flats along it are named after various sportsmen and women.
