This morning I observed Bradford Council’s Regulatory & Appeals Committee to support objections to proposals to flatten the old Hutton Middle School to make way for more Toy Town houses.
As two precious hours of my life ebbed away, it was easy to conclude that my hometown is totally ****ed in the hands of the people I witnessed.
By the time I left, Hutton was still to be discussed as two other highly contentious developments had taken precedence. The appalling quality of debate and presentation from Councillors and Officers alike was jaw-dropping.
As was the completely pointless nature of the exercise given the abject failure of our useless Council to have a housing supply plan in place which means developers can almost do as they please.
Before we began, the dour Chair – Cllr Warburton (Lab) – asked if any of the public would be filming though I could not see this making daytime TV.
On discovering that one member was actually filming this charade, the spiky Cllr Lee (Lab) insisted she have a full copy for prior approval. Either she has image rights or has trouble sleeping.
One man who did not appear to have problems in the dozing department was cuddly Cllr Wainwright (Lab) who never uttered a word until it was time to vote, presumably woken by a nudge in the ribs and the smell of a free lunch.
The rest of the show contained Cllrs Lal (Lab), Sykes (Con) Whiteley (Con) and Hawkesworth (Independent). Across the table sat four Council officers supported by a ceiling gazing legal bod and two secretaries.
We began with Idle Moor as the Councillors sought to understand why several previous objections had been turned over in a flash by a Government Inspector recently.
What was to become a recurring theme – seized on with glee by the consultant on behalf of the next appeal – was that the Council was powerless; in short, our Council has failed the lot of us.
The Council have though obtained a Section 106 “bung” here, amounting to £290k for Education which should buy some portakabins and a laughable £10k for Highways which they might need for grit when all the extra cars slide down the hill next winter.
We then moved on to a proposal to plonk 600 houses on nearby Fagley which had stalled due to the existence of a riding school used by disabled kids. The school has now been found a new home which paved the way for the plans to be submitted as recommended.
Aren’t those developers lovely people?
As the Officers attempted to convince the Councillors that there really would be no detrimental effect of 600 new houses and that, due to their fancy traffic software, the roads would run sweeter than ever, Cllr Lee awoke with thunder to pointedly ask where all the kids would be schooled.
“Are we going to teach them in tents?” she roared, almost waking up Cllr Wainwright. Here’s the laughable bit; the S106 bung here was quoted at £1m although Bradford Education had asked for £2.5m.
They may get diddly squat as the Council needs £7m to improve nearby Greengates Junction (hence several more proposals down the road) and the money would be allocated on a first claim basis. Honest, you could not make this up.
The only Councillor who actually earned his expenses and sounded as if he had read the extensive notes was Cllr Sykes who was the only one to actually challenge the clear madness being proposed.
The objectors were represented by two local Councillors and a resident but even as the developer’s representative took his seat we all knew this was a done deal as he repeatedly referred to the Council’s lack of a plan so “…nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!!!”
At last it was time to vote and fiery Cllr Lee was first up to…approve! No worries about teaching kids in tents anymore as she was heard to say “…we’d lose on appeal anyway!”
She was quickly followed by Cllr Wainwright who had woken up with lunch in the offing and nodded in agreement.
It was utterly dispiriting and time to go find something useful to do. Today there is an article suggesting we slash the number of Councillors and I could not agree more.
Not only – if today is anything to go by – are they a bunch of stooges but they cost a fortune too. They are clearly powerless to determine anything relating to housing given the current situation.
It calls into question the competence of the Council as a whole that Bradford can be held to ransom by developers big and small, far and wide.
What do you say Dave?
Footnote 1
The T&A reported this shambles in perhaps a more restrained manner.
Note too that the Council actually own some of the land to be developed although – honest – they could (would) not state how much at the meeting.
Footnote 2
According to the T&A one of the three most grid-locked roads in the city is the A657 Greengates to Shipley.
Cue comment from Councillor Val Slater, executive member for housing, planning and transport.
“It’s very important that we improve the situation in these three areas. Particularly when you are looking at the Greengates area and more housing developments are happening down that road.”
Throw in another 600+ plus houses along the route and you can see why I contend that the Council is full of numpties.
nick says
Steve this is going to be a nightmare, 600 houses just off Harrogate Road means extra say 900 cars on that road and around the area…what joy rush hour will be.
As for councillors they just reflect the two houses down in London that is full of xxxxxxx.
You can put what word you want in but they couldn’t do a days hard work between them but can spout on that we should be doing.
Steve says
Nick – to witness the shambles first hand left a shudder down my spine at what is happening to our hometown.
Andy Chilton says
Could not agree more – it beggared / beggars belief. I felt like I had gone into a boxing ring, prepared to box (as per the rules)… I was then tasered, kicked in the teeth, gagged and robbed! That’s how it felt anyway… and when one of the councillors came to “there, there” me outside, I felt compelled to tell her I thought she had made an illegal decision and that they ought to be ashamed. “Oh, well, it’s done now” she said… (final smack in the mouth then…). I would not have believed this myself had I not been there. Blood boiled and still is!
Steve says
That response is typical of the incompetents that are making these decisions…what an utterly stupid thing to say.
rupy hayre says
What a complete joke. We (Simpson green) campaigners have applied for judicial review for the very reason that the council have/ will use green gates junction as an excuse to pass all applications in Bradford East. When confronted with a document from a senior officer stating the “options” available to secure the £2million needed to cover the council’s contribution towards the scheme the council told me – in writing – that I should not have had a copy of said report. Why? Because it showed us the tax payers what is really going on with planning decisions. They can’t just try to pin all costs against one development, encounter issues and then go for the kill on another development. All the while knowing full well that they intend to pass all applications to get their own backsides out of the firing line
Steve says
Keep fighting the idiots