Health Centre Failed Planning Application - Appeal?

An Edited version of this blog was sent to the Biggleswade Chronicle on 9th February 2011 and to date (18th February) they have chosen not to publish it.
I see in last  weeks Biggleswade Chronicle (4th February 2011) that Biggleswade Town Council are considering an appeal.

According to our Councillors we do not understand that they are trying to protect the site by getting planning permission for a health centre, oh and 17 sports pitches as well, if we want them.

The revised application by Biggleswade Town Council excluded, allotments, woodland and children's play area, why was that if Mayor Wendy Smith is so keen to provide more green space for our town. The natural green space is there at present and according to the survey carried out could be a suitable habitat for badgers, bats, water voles, otters, great crested newts and other amphibians.

This site is outside of the development envelope, and as such is now effectively protected from development. It is in the Biggleswade Green Infrastructure plan, (which is not published anywhere, but I have a copy), which Biggleswade Town Council has signed up to. I do not remember seeing a health centre in the plan.  If the Planning Committee were minded to allow development of this site, they cannot approve it. They can only recommend it to the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for him to make a decision.

Mayor Wendy Smith seems to be under the illusion that if the Town Council is "holding the permission for the land" that will protect it from being snatched up for housing development.  It will in fact open up the land for development, as a permission to develop will have been established. It is irrelevant who obtained the permission. I recall Mayor Wendy Smith saying at a recent Council Meeting, that once we have the permission we can change it to whatever we want !!

If planning permission was given, then the value of the land would probably increase  tenfold or more from a value of circa £400,000 to £4 Million. A nice little earner for Central Bedfordshire, without spending a penny. Where would Biggleswade Town Council find that sort of money? Biggleswade Town Councils annual expenditure budget is circa £700,000.

I find it ironic that Mayor Wendy Smith talks of the last opportunity to stop development to the east of Biggleswade. Did you know that Councillor David Smith and Francis Nicholas Smith are "transferring" land to the developers of "The Land East of Biggleswade".  It’s a matter of public record. Details can be obtained via the Land Registry site for a small fee. The Title Number is BD245361.

I remember in November 2010 Councillor Wendy Smith writing in the Chronicle under the headline "Central Beds ignores the people you elect". I think our Councillors would do well to remember that they are ignoring the people who elected them, and we have elections coming up in May.