| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:24-storey high tower block next to Chiswick roundabout | |
| Posted by: | Guy Lambert | |
| Date/Time: | 10/01/23 10:27:00 |
| Correct, Bruce. I am no longer on the Planning Committee but we frequently voted against planners' advice. In about 5 or 6 years on planning I was accused a few times of getting large bags of cash but it never happened. One woman, whose application we refused, nevertheless gave me a £50 M&S voucher, which I gave to the FoodBox (actually I gave them cash and used the voucher). Planners give these advices because - very often anyway - they believe the developer is likely to appeal against any refusal and win the appeal. Planning legislation is strongly biased in favour of developers. If this happens, it costs the council 10s of thousands, sometimes more in legal costs and if the developer wins it leaves the council with no influence on what is built. Developers' predominance in donating to the Conservative party https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/20-tory-donations-come-property-tycoons/ is obviously entirely coincidental. |