By Terry Piccolo
“I have been involved in two planning issues relating to Stanford Le Hope this week, one being the Butts Lane development by Barrett Homes and the other The Squibb Group Planning Inquiry and the different approaches taken by
Barrett’s and Squibb’s is like the difference between chalk and cheese.
Barrett Homes obtained planning permission back in 2012 and other than the usual reserved matters which were dealt with this week had the go ahead to build 350 homes along Butts Lane.
Throughout the planning process Barrett’s have engaged with local residents, R.A.I.D. and the Stanford Forum, I cannot remember the number of meetings I have had with them, even up until last week they were still willing to listen meeting with the Forum and individual local residents and whilst we did not get everything the local residents wanted they did make some concessions. They have been prepared to engage and that is to be applauded.
“Contrast Barrett Home’s approach to that of the Squibb Group. Local residents have been up in arms about their operations down Wharf Road since not long after Squibb purchased the site in 2008, HGV’s started trundling along Wharf Road as early as 4.15 am in the morning, huge abnormal loads started to congest the road and on occasions block Wharf Rd for up to an hour at a time.
“Local residents formed into a group to try to improve their situation and enlisted the help of the Stanford Forum. That was 4 years ago, how many meetings have The Squibb Group had with the local residents group or the Stanford Forum to try to overcome these problems NONE and therein lies the problem.
“Barrett who had already obtained permission still willing to engage with the community and The Squibb Group who have been operating without permission for 4 years completely ignoring the local community, I hope it comes back to bit them”.
Stanford community leader reflects on a tale of two planning issues
· Let me tell you about planning issues in West Thurrock 2000 people signed a petition against an illegal lorry park at ICG Ltd in Oliver Road, the outcome, it was given four years grace to close down and was also included in the core strategy to become a lorry park, against the wishes of 2000 people who signed the petition, so Mr Piccolo you can see it isn’t only the developers who do not bother to talk to people it’s Thurrock Council’s officers and members
The member who presented the petition Councillor Oliver Gerrish also voted in the core strategy to include the same lorry park, that he presented 2000 signatures against
Perhaps somebody should ask councillor Andrew Smith portfolio holder for planning exactly what’s going on since it’s in he’s ward, he cannot be bothered about the votes he’s going to lose, what would this indicate to you, why would somebody that represents a ward of which 2000 people in the ward signed a petition against a lorry park include it in the focus core strategy
Cllr Andy Smith I believe was one of the Councillors who sat on the Lorry Park Working Group and voted that this site got included in the LDF. Remarkable considering Andy Smith represents West Thurrock and then rather hypocritically Labour then campaigned against the very site that both Cllr Andy Smith and Cllr Yash Gupta voted to have included in the LDF.