Oh Broadland District Council - what are you up to now?

The draft project brief for the Rackheath 'Exemplar' development is now available on the BDC website as a report to be put before the Place Shaping Committee (who comes up with these names?!) on 4th August. The aim of the brief is 'to set out the Council's aspirations for the Exemplar Project and to seek community support for the proposals included in it'. There is that word again - aspirations - it seems to crop up regularly whenever Councillor Proctor is involved in anything! Just whose aspirations are we talking about here?

The brief states that the Exemplar was originally part of the eco-town project but it is now 'not tied into it and is being promoted as a stand-alone scheme'. How can the funding given by the previous government for the proposed Rackheath eco-town be used therefore for this project as BDC have now clearly said it is not part of the project?

The Evening News today reports on the project brief and in it Andrew Proctor gives his definition of the word 'local'. His definition might come as a very big surprise to most people in Norfolk as he thinks the people who should be consulted on the Rackheath development should include everyone who lives within the council areas of Broadland, South Norfolk and Norwich City! Surely this is just a contrivance by BDC to try push their plans through. Widen the net far enough and they will find sufficient people who will be disinterested and can then be counted as supporting the council's plans. They've tried it before with the JCS so it should come as no surprise that they are employing the same tactics again.

The government has not yet defined what it means by the word 'local' but if it does cover such a wide geographical area it will make a mockery of their enthusiasm for 'localism' as real local communities will surely rise up in arms to protest.

5 comments:

  1. The same Andrew Proctor is quoted in the EDP today Saturday as saying" The examplar can quite easily be built as a stand alone project but it is not unreasonable to say it could be the first phase towards future development”
    Does he say this this with such Authority because the Council have given him delegated powers to do what he wants? If not, when have the Council agreed to this?
    Perhaps smoke and mirrors is becoming forked tongue

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  2. Does lack of response equal support?
    The Council seem to be claiming this.
    The widening of the definition of local is also really interesting.

    You will remember the opposition of District Councils to the proposals for a Unitary Authority, either City or County. They all knew that was not a viable position for the City but self-protection is a powerful motive and this "working together" was their way of avoiding debate over their own existence.
    It was also clear that Norwich on its current boundaries had 'no wiggle room' either financially or physically.
    Why else concoct the GNDP?

    Btoadland have housing needs for about 4000 families but they persist in including the Norwich numbers when they attempt to inflate the demand for housing.
    Why else does the Growth Triangle need 10,000 -15,000
    houses? That is clearly not local need however you cut it.
    Is it the job of our council to do this, destroying the countryside for purely selfish political reasons.

    Rackheath already has a problem with residents of the affordable houses built into the latest development.
    That was less than 40 in 200; now the Council wants to do it again and house 80 out of 200. Should local residents welcome this?

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  3. When will we wake up. Broadland have no intention of listening to anyone except their developer friends. Sadly DEMOCRACY is dead in our District. They boast about their consultation but thousands never saw the glossy JCS document. They call placing items on the internet "Consulting". What about those who do not have this facility.

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  4. Rackheath resident7 August 2010 at 16:12

    When will Broadland listen to us, the people affected by this mad development on Grade Two farmland. Of course they wish to widen the consultation, this is a very old trick to make the opposition look small Hopefully the Minister will be wise to yet another of their tricks. Roll on next May. I bet they will be at our Fun Day with their propaganda.

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  5. Well done SNUB, keep up your great support for the Parish Councils and the residents. These Dictators at Broadland need to remember that WE pay their huge expenses and gold plated pensions and they are Public Servants..... Just be Democratic for once and stop working for the Developers

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