In today's Daily Telegraph in the Letters page, there are a number of comments dealing directly with the 'Hands Off Our Land' Campaign which the paper is so successfully running. Under the heading 'A wedge of housing development in green Sussex countryside near a village that doesn’t want it: Building houses in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/8811783/A-wedge-of-housing-development-in-green-Sussex-countryside-near-a-village-that-doesnt-want-it.html
The area that doesn't want it is the small village of Ardingly, in Sussex. It is an area that has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Thus, one would think it would be protected from uncalled for development. However, according to Sue Karle who wrote to the Daily Telegraph, the village is 'now under threat on two fronts'.
She writes that two developers are:
... about to apply for planning permission on two different greenfield sites, both outside the village boundary. Both developers intend to include affordable housing in their plans, as they are compelled to, although this would not be ringfenced for local people.
There is concern that as a result of the machinations of 'Bagpuss' Pickles, Apple Schnapps Shapps and 'Disgusting' Clark the rights and wishes of local people will be ignored.
Sue Karle writes that despite hoping to preserve the 'integrity' of their village, there will 'be a presumption in favour of these developers'.
She ends the letter by telling 'Boy David' Cameron that:
... he will go down as the man who destroyed much of rural England.
As it happens, in the same issue of the Daily Telegraph, Bob Neill MP (Con)Local Government Minister has written defending the new planning policy proposals. He writes:
The draft (planning policy) maintains strong protections against urban sprawl and gives local communities the power to decide where to protect or develop, through their local plan.
When Arturo read that, he almost choked! I thought he'd swallowed a hair-ball! He said: "If you believe that, you'll believe anything!"
As it happens, I didn't need him to tell me that! I had already seen the comments made the previous day by 'Baby Face' Gove - Yes! He of the constant smile and the deceptive look of wide-eyed innocence!
Anyway, 'Baby Face' Gove was quoted by Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor of The Daily Telegraph as saying:
When it comes to reforming planning laws in order to allow companies to expand, he [Mr Cameron] made it clear that he’s on the side of jobs, not the nimbys. ... In so doing, he was saying to some of the people in the hall, 'I know you think your lawns are precious, but actually people’s jobs at the moment are what’s important’.
'Not the nimbys'!!! I ask you!! Who does this chap think he is? No doubt, Cameron, Osborne, Gove and associated pals have lawns the size of small villages surrounding their own estates! Certainly, 'Boy David' Cameron's father-in-law does!
But the good people of these same small villages have tiny lawns and small village greens - and they want the right to protect them. As Sue Karle wrote in her letter today, there are genuine fears for the people in these small communities.
The new planning policy is so drafted that it gives a “presumption in favour of sustainable development”.
Christopher Hope writes:
Last night the National Trust, which has entered talks with the Government about changes to the framework after receiving assurances from the Prime Minister that he had the interests of the countryside at heart, criticised Mr Gove’s “rudeness”.
A trust spokesman said: “This is so far from what these reforms are supposed to be about. We have got used to rudeness but we are not going to let it have any effect.”
Arturo shook his head! I shook my head too!
"Wasn't Eton College supposed to produce 'gentlemen'?" Arturo asked.
"Well - " I paused for thought - "something has gone wrong somewhere!"
'Bye' from Arturo
'Bye' from me
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