Category: Planning

Planning Committee Part 1 Cllr Elderton interrupts proceedings, Planning Committee discusses freedom of speech

The Chair of the Planning Committee, Cllr Elderton interrupted Cllr Niblock tonight during the Planning Committee during its consideration of planning application APP/10/01105 (agenda item 4). This is what Cllr Elderton (and others) said (or at least what could be heard on the recording as there are segments on the recording where there is more … Continue reading “Planning Committee Part 1 Cllr Elderton interrupts proceedings, Planning Committee discusses freedom of speech”

The Chair of the Planning Committee, Cllr Elderton interrupted Cllr Niblock tonight during the Planning Committee during its consideration of planning application APP/10/01105 (agenda item 4).

This is what Cllr Elderton (and others) said (or at least what could be heard on the recording as there are segments on the recording where there is more than one voice talking at a time) so some words may be lost. There are five speakers in this segment.

Speakers
Cllr David Elderton (Conservative Party), Chair of the Planning Committee
John Brace (this is myself)
Leonora Brace (this is my wife and editor of this blog)
Cllr Chris Blakeley (Conservative Party), Standards Committee member
Legal adviser (Legal adviser to the Planning Committee)

Chair Cllr David Elderton: Sorry, can I just stop you councillor for a minute? Somebody is videoing proceedings in the front row and that is not allowed.

John Brace: I’ve got a letter from Steve Foulkes that says it is.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: Sorry?

John Brace: I’ve got a letter from the Leader of the Council that says it is.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: Who’s told you it is?

John Brace: Cllr Steve Foulkes in response to a question at full Council.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: I’m going to get some legal advice on this.

John Brace: OK.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: We do not normally have these proceedings errm errm.

Cllr Chris Blakeley: Can I?

Chair Cllr David Elderton: photographed because we have problems in terms of personal people’s personal activities do not necessarily want them recorded.

Cllr Chris Blakeley: Chairman, can I help as a member of the Standards Committee? The Standards Committee earlier this year approved the Council be open and transparent in the use of media to be allowed in all meetings.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: Very good, I’m just concerned that it might err influence the way people speak in an open manner. And I’ll take some legal advice on that.

Legal adviser: I’m not sure of the errm of the issue in regards to what.

John Brace: Sorry I can’t hear you, could you use the microphone?

Legal adviser: not sure of the difference in what Cllr Foulkes has told you or the errm take what the Standards Board have said into account. It is highly unusual for the for the undertaking to be errm recorded, and I’m not sure if what the Standards Committee have recommended has actually been passed down to this committee as as a as a decision.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: Certainly not.

Legal adviser: I would think that until that has been until it’s been actually passed down to the various committees, that that would not be accepted as usual practice. I think there is transparency with regards to the media and in an around the success and publicity

Editor Leonora Brace: Turn it off!

Legal adviser: with regards to the decision making process but the actual visual recording something I would expect the Chairman to be aware of to be acceptable. If the Chairman hasn’t been informed by the Leader then I would think that pending clarification and confirmation with the Chairman I would think that it must be acceptable.

Cllr Chris Blakeley: Can I just?

Chair Cllr David Elderton: I’m not having an open public meeting.

Cllr Chris Blakeley: I’m just trying to be helpful. Those minutes were approved by Council, then Council has agreed to allow filming and photography at council meeting. That’s all I’m saying.

Editor Leonora Brace: Turn it off.

Cllr Chris Blakeley: If Council has agreed those minutes then that’s allowed.

Chair Cllr David Elderton: I need some help with it. My first concern is to avoid people being compromised and being intimidated by a cameraman.

Editor Leonora Brace: Turn it off!

Recording ends as per instruction from editor to cease recording and the practical reason of running out of tape. 

Planning Applications affecting Bidston & St. James ward (13/10/2011 to 2/11/2011)

There were only two planning applications decided by officers during this period.

The first was for the erection of one non-illuminated fascia sign at Park View Hotel, 426-428 Price Street, Birkenhead, CH41 4JQ. This is for an advertisement consent. However it has been withdrawn by the applicant.

The second is for erection of a rear balcony to a master bedroom at Brailsford, 59 ELEANOR ROAD, BIDSTON, CH43 7QW. This is for full planning application and was approved on 2nd November 2011 with two conditions.

The first condition is that work on it has to be started by 2nd November 2014. The second condition is that details of a 1.7m privacy screen have to be agreed in writing by Wirral Council and the privacy screen has to be erected and maintained.

There is one planning application from Bidston & St. James ward for a first floor fire escape staircase to the rear of 270 Conway Street, Birkenhead, CH41 3JA to be decided by the Planning Committee tonight. The reason for the referral of this to the Planning Committee is that is that a Labour councillor called Cllr Paul Doughty is a partner and architect at SDA Architects and Surveyors who are the agents on this planning application.

Any planning applications that Wirral Council councillors have a close association with get decided by the Planning Committee under existing Wirral Council policies.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 4 Invest Wirral, Wirral Direct, jobs, investment, planning, vetting

Paula Basnett said that since 1993 (Invest Wirral had formerly been called Wirral Direct), it had been involved with 941 investment projects and sixteen thousand jobs had been created or safeguarded.

In 2010/11 Invest Wirral had been involved with £13 million of investment covering 652 jobs, had an average of engaging with 800 companies a year and in the last three years had helped with £50 million of investment covering 3,000 jobs.

She finished by giving the contact details for Invest Wirral which were invest@wirral.gov.uk, telephone 650 6915 and their website.

Cllr Denise Realey asked if they helped fund planning applications?

Paula Basnett said they didn’t reduce planning fees, but they could help businesses attract business rate relief on their business rates.

Cllr Denise Realey asked about the over 2,000 businesses registered on the website. She asked how they check they do good work, had they been into every business or did they just rely on the information the businesses had given? What would they do if the businesses were not doing a good job? How did they check these businesses out?

Paula Basnett said they ask for turnover, contracts and employees. If they are receiving support they measure this over six months and twelve months to see how it’s changed.

Cllr Realey asked again if any of the businesses work was actually checked.

Paula Basnett replied that for businesses that just register, they don’t vet them for the online forum as they’re not Trading Standards.

Economy and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee 7th November 2011 Part 2 Paula’s presentation on Invest Wirral, business angels, social enterprise, planning, business rates, schools, DASS (Department of Adult Social Services)

Paula Basnett continued by saying that there were the business forums and businesses were increasingly contacting Wirral Council more and more. Under the new structure, they would go out to see businesses, agree an action plan and bring in support from sector experts (not local authority employees). From referral to action plan, the relationship manager would agree the needs and requirements of the business. The action plan would go to Paula. This support was for two types of businesses, those with five or more employees with a turnover of over £100,000 and micro-businesses with one to five employees and a turnover of £100,000 or less.

The New Brighton conference had brought business angels with money (a bit like Dragon’s Den) looking to invest in businesses that couldn’t get help from banks with their projects. There was a business angels network and a new focus on social enterprises. She said social enterprises were a business and make a profit, the only difference was in the commercial sector that the profit went to owners or shareholders but in as social enterprise it was given to who the social enterprise supports.

Paula also detailed help and advice they give businesses in the areas of development control, business rates, planning permission, schools (entrepreneurship) as well as support to schools. She said there was a SME Project Manager, Micro-business Manager, Business Angel scheme and Social Enterprise Team.

She said they were also working with social enterprises with their business plans specifically to do with working with the Department for Adult Social services.

Planning Committee 25th October 2011 APP/11/00911, APP/11/00932, APP/11/0133, Quarterly Performance Report & Delegated Decisions Part 15

Cllr Dave Mitchell and Cllr Eddie Boult proposed and seconded Application APP/11/00911. All councillors voted in favour so the application was approved.

The committee considered Application APP/11/00932. The officer said this was for a change of use as a hyperbaric training centre was being relocated from Murrayfield. The site near the water was a key location requirement. There had been a letter hand delivered from John Moores University confirming that there had been no commercial discussions or contracts signed and that they had nothing to do with the current application. Therefore the reference to John Moores University should be deleted.

Cllr John Salter and Cllr Eddie Boult proposed and seconded the application. All councillors voted in favour.

The last planning application APP/11/0133 was for a single storey rear extension. Cllr Mitchell proposed it, Cllr Keeley seconded it. All councillors voted in favour.

Cllr Elderton asked for any comments on the quarterly performance report. There were no comments, so the report was noted.

There were comments on the planning applications decided under delegated powers and no any other business so the meeting ended.