A case of semantics apparently....

As yet another Broadland News arrives on our doorsteps it is perhaps time to ask why there a five pages dedicated to the 'Multi- million pound investment in Rackheath eco-community' and the related NDR and growth triangle, when Broadland District Council have categorically said that they would not be "pushing" or promoting the plans for the proposed Rackheath eco-community "in any way"?

At the last drop-in session held at Rackheath Holy Trinity Church, BDC initially agreed that they were promoting the plans but there then followed a certain amount of back-peddling and argument over semantics when it was pointed out that this was precisely what they had said they would not be doing. They insisted that it was the developer who was promoting the plans .... what? Via Broadland News???

There is no way that this Authority  is now capable of dealing fairly with any planning application that comes forward for the eco-town.

9 comments:

  1. I agree, I was disgusted to see the spin in the latest edition of the mag. Do they think we are all stupid? Obviously!

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  2. I would like to respond as Editor of Broadland News. The centre pages of the magazine carry our commitment to keep residents informed every step of the way- that commitment is real. Of the 5 pages discussed the first page reported on a £9.55 million pound investment in Broadland and details of how that money would be spent - Broadland News, whichever definition you apply.
    The second page explained how growth is managed and planned in the district and an update on an important stage in the Joint Core Strategy Process, The next page updated readers on the Northern Distributor Route and the third local transport plan of county wide interest and importance, we then had two pages answering residents questions on growth across the district and providing details of some drop in surgeries being held in Rackheath. If the intention had been and it clearly was not, to promote any development on these 5 pages I think you could safely say we failed to do so.

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  3. Cars or no cars ?
    Will the Exemplar phase have cars ?

    The original plan from Building Partnerships, was there would be no cars.

    Now i am hearing about electric cars. If families live in these eco homes, there would be two electric cars per family. where are they going to park these electic cars ?

    Can some one tell me if there are to be cars or not ? If there are, where will the owners park them ? Do the developers really think that families with teenagers wont want their own transport ?

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  4. The Editor of Broadland News is obviously unused to any one challenging the spin machine. Most of us are quite used to filtering it out for ourselves.

    Promote the development - the Council has done nothing else for the past eighteen months. I would question how; given the bias they have shown, how they expect to deal with any planning application on this issue. They are totally prejudiced.
    If keeping residents informed is the mantra why have we got all the growth around Norwich, when the EERA said that it should be dispersed into those areas of deprivation. You are just selective in what you choose to report.

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  5. I think it is fair to comment on the way Broadland use this magazine for self congratulation and promotion. I have just read the last post and would use another example. What will be omitted from the eco-town now that the funding has fallen so far short of the Bid. The £28m, appears to be reduced by approximately two thirds. And why has the Council never told us about the implementation of the sustainability codes that I heard about in Salhouse two weeks ago.

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  6. Keeping residents informed is an insult. I am offended by the word "informed" as they should be "consulting" with residents but then again, as they do seem to have adopted a dictatorship attitude, maybe they chose the word carefully. If they are keeping residents informed then why was a planning application for "eco" show homes not clearly earmarked as such in the first place? WWhy was it only almost a year later that its intention was changed from building affordable homes for the local community which went unchallenged, into "eco" showhomes? I tell you why, because they don't want to keep residents informed as they are worried about opposition. Sneak everything in under the wire every step of the way more like......

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  7. If our Conservative MP and the Conservative Party are against the Rackheath Ecotown, how is it that the Conservative Broadland Council can really proceed with this unwanted Government scheme. Also how can they be the Planning Authority when they are so close to the Developers. Something is NOT RIGHT

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  8. Who gave Broadland DC the mandate to spend our money on providing support for the Ecotown developers profit. This is NOT DEMOCRACY ! Surely they should represent US.

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  9. I fully agree with all the comments about Broadland News, sadly this is now just a propaganda tool. "Keeping us informed all the way" is really "telling you want we are doing"as the Dictators. When are they going to listen to the people who elected them and pay them. Six parish Councils and over 3,000 residents have said NO to this Ecotown.

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