Councillors defer decision on 2 planning applications for site visits and approve 7 others

Councillors defer decision on 2 planning applications for site visits and approve 7 others                                            I’m going to try to return to brief reports on public meetings of Wirral Council starting with the Planning Committee meeting held on the 20th April 2016 starting at 6.01pm in Committee Rooms 1 & 2, Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton … Continue reading “Councillors defer decision on 2 planning applications for site visits and approve 7 others”

Councillors defer decision on 2 planning applications for site visits and approve 7 others

                                          

Cllr Anita Leech (Chair of Wirral Council's Planning Committee) at the Planning Committee held on the 20th April 2016
Cllr Anita Leech (Chair of Wirral Council’s Planning Committee) at the Planning Committee held on the 20th April 2016

I’m going to try to return to brief reports on public meetings of Wirral Council starting with the Planning Committee meeting held on the 20th April 2016 starting at 6.01pm in Committee Rooms 1 & 2, Wallasey Town Hall, Brighton Street, Seacombe, CH44 8ED. Timings next to agenda items are for the two video clips of the meeting.

Continue reading “Councillors defer decision on 2 planning applications for site visits and approve 7 others”

Expense claim forms for Councillor David Elderton (Wirral Council) 2013 to 2014

Expense claim forms for Councillor David Elderton (Wirral Council) 2013 to 2014

Expense claim forms for Councillor David Elderton (Wirral Council) 2013 to 2014

                                                   

Our thrilling alphabetical series on councillors’ mileage expense claims to Wirral Council’s Human Resources department continues with Councillor David Elderton. Councillor David Elderton is a Conservative councillor for West Kirby and Thurstaston ward. We were supplied with ten pages relating to him and thankfully he seems to be submitting them on a monthly basis and actually filling them in!

It contains interesting details in it such as details of a briefing about Wirral Council’s Hoylake Golf Resort with that popular person at Wirral Council [officer name redacted]. In fact there are many redactions, which is probably why HR took about a month to do this.

I’ll point out it’s not Councillor David Elderton redacting this, it’s Wirral Council officers. The issue of a briefing for councillors in that area about the Hoylake Golf Resort was discussed at a meeting of Council so it’s nice to see it happened, albeit with Wirral Council’s usual air of secrecy about the whole matter. When are Wirral Council going to be open and transparent with the public about this matter instead of shrouding it in the veil of commercial interests and secrecy?

A lot of the rest of the pages are to do with Councillor David Elderton’s work on Wirral Council’s Planning Committee, its associated site visits and other committees that he is on. As he provides departure and arrival times it shows how long things take when a councillor lives at the other end of the Borough from Wallasey Town Hall. It’s a shame the redactions of it don’t help with understanding more about the work councillors do behind the scenes away from the gaze of the cameras and public.

Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 1
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 1
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 2
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 2
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 3
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 3
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 4
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 4
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 5
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 5
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 6
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 6
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 7
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 7
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 8
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 8
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 9
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 9
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 10
Cllr David Elderton expenses claim 2013 2014 page 10

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 Minutes, Declarations of Interest and Site Visits

Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 Minutes, Declarations of Interest and Site Visits

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 26th September 2013 Minutes, Declarations of Interest and Site Visits

                         

After the blurb given by the Chair at the start of the meeting and the minutes of the meeting held on the 22nd August 2013 were agreed, the Planning Committee got to declarations of interest.

Cllr Christina Muspratt declared an interest in item 4 (APP/13/01021: The Cottage, REST HILL ROAD, STORETON, CH63 6HL – Proposed alterations/extensions to existing cottage with associated external works – Amendment to APP/12/00848) and item 15 (APP/13/01005: Safe Harbour Nursing Home, 1 ABBOTS DRIVE, BEBINGTON, CH63 – Two storey extension and layout of alternative parking provisions). Quite what the nature and type of the interest was I really don’t know as despite sitting on the second row underneath one of the speakers I couldn’t hear clearly what she said.

The Chair, Cllr Bernie Mooney declared a prejudicial interest in item 6 (OUT/13/00551: Unused Land, VALLEY ROAD, BIDSTON – Outline application for the construction of indoor skate park with associated facilities including offices, café, flexible learning spaces, business support for young entrepreneurs and car parking) as one of the directors of Rampworx Youth Village 2000 Limited is married to her niece.

There were four requests for site visits, Cllr Wendy Clements requested a site visit for
OUT/13/00826: Paddock, KINLOSS ROAD, GREASBY, CH49 3PS – Outline application for development of 4 residential units, and the provision of amenity open space, Cllr David Elderton requested a site visit for APP/13/00811: Land at 37 OLDFIELD DRIVE, HESWALL, CH60 6SS – Erection of a 2 storey residential property together with new access to Oldfield Drive and an attached garage and Cllr Irene Williams requested a site visit for APP/13/01021: The Cottage, REST HILL ROAD, STORETON, CH63 6HL – Proposed alterations/extensions to existing cottage with associated external works – Amendment to APP/12/00848 and APP/13/01005: Safe Harbour Nursing Home, 1 ABBOTS DRIVE, BEBINGTON, CH63 – Two storey extension and layout of alternative parking provisions. All four site visits were agreed and the people who were here just for those items left.

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Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) Minutes | Declarations of Interests | Site Visits

A blog post about the Planning Committee meeting of the 27th June 2013 | Declarations of Interest | Minutes | Requests for site visits

In an attempt to report on what happened at the Planning Committee, despite being prevented filming here is a transcript of what was said.

Chair (Cllr Bernie Mooney): Welcome to the err Planning Committee errm, just thank you.

Errm, just for all your information, errm on my first right where we have the usual, errm our usual adviser in the Authority who gives very good legal advice indeed errm, errm, especially at the minute and on the left we have  all these planning officers who will offer us help and guidance this evening. The rest of the people you see around the table are the councillors who will actually be taking the decisions, the Members.

Errm, this evening for each agenda item, errm we will have a presentation of the application by an officer so we all know what’s going on. Errm if there’s a qualifying petition, that means a petition of twenty-five separate names and separate households on it, one representative can address the Committee for five minutes and five minutes only errm on behalf of the petitioners. No sorts of representations will be heard by the Committee, I’m sorry about that errm it’s out of my hands.

So only one of the petitioners can talk errm for five minutes. Errm if the applicant is present, errm they will then be given the right to reply, but please note, if there are no representations, then no one present can talk.

Actually errm the, the, the, the, the errm, the errm, any ward councillor can be introduced at any time that they like and provided that the councillor is errm the errm, errm, sorry ladies and gentleman, just a minute errm. Errm my role here, is just to maintain discipline and to make sure that the people in this small room know the rules and regulations and that if we have a split vote, usually errm I as the Chairman vote. Normally all being well, it won’t.

Errm so the first thing on the agenda is the minutes. So, errm first can we approve the minutes of the previous meeting,

Cllr David Elderton (Conservative spokesperson): So is everyone happy with them? Thank you very much.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Is that ok? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Errm is there any declarations of interest? Anita?

Cllr Anita Leech: Yes, Chair, I have errm, a personal interest to declare in item number 14. It says home address, errm a board member of Leasowe Homes, errm with the Your Housing Group on the, on the written report, but it’s normally as an ordinary member of the Board.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): OK, thank you. Are there any other declarations? OK. Thank you very much. So, the requests for site visits, which is item, item number three, site visits?

Cllr Eddie Boult: Thank you Chair, errm, item number twelve, Hoylake Lawn Tennis Club.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Thank you. Any other site visits?

Cllr Steve Foulkes: Chair, errm, given its implications err and being within the green belt, err I would like a site visit for items four and nine, items fifteen, err and it is an SDA err application but I can request a site visit.

Cllr Bernie Mooney (Chair): Is there any other site visits? I’ll move then to the first agenda item number nine, for a site visit? We’ve requested agenda item number nine for a site visit. Yeah?

Continues at Planning Committee (Wirral Council) (27th June 2013) Site Visits | OUT/13/0040 41 Noctorum Avenue, Noctorum, CH43 9RZ.

Planning Committee – 08/03/2011 – Part 1 – “We can’t hear you”

Planning committee started late. Most members of the public were still milling around the lobby by five past six after planning officers had shooed them away from Committee Room 1 & 2.

Cllr Mitchell started off by welcoming those present to the meeting. However with the seats being many further rows back only those on the front row could hear and a number of members of public were grumbling. The meeting was then delayed while an officer was sent away to find someone to turn the speakers on. Someone came in and out to do this about three times as generally the Chair’s microphone is allowed to overrule other speakers, but the person had limited the microphones to one speaker at a time rather than the usual.

The meeting then restarted at about ten past six. As this is a regular occurence you wonder why the microphones can’t be tested a few minutes before the meeting starts!

Cllr Elderton declared a prejudicial interest in items 5 and 6 by virtue of his position on the Cabinet as Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Leisure. He also declared an interest in item 12.

Cllr Keeley and Cllr Kenny both requested a site visit for item 9 (Thai Rooms, Liscard). Cllr Boult requested a site visit for item 12 (Kukis, West Kirby). The Chair informed those present that item 11 (Pinewood, Heswall) would be deferred for further information. A number of members of the public who had come for items 9, 11 and 12 left at this point.