Author: Keith Kondakor
Borough plan working group minutes
I have more notes from the Borough Plan working party using freedom of information laws. They are redacted with lots of XXX.
22nd May protest
Before 6PM cabinet meeting (i.e from 5:30PM outside Town Hall).
At 6PM on Wednesday 22nd May the Labour Cabinet will meet to approve a sham consultation on the Borough Plan. It will only have one option.The protest is for anyone who wants to prevent the consultation being a sham.
The Labour proposal is to add 3,000 homes to the North of Weddington/St Nicolas Park. This is in addition to 726 homes proposed by Hallams off Weddington Rd. 1000 homes are allocated to Arbury, 676 to goodyers end and 518 at Gipsy Lane. Also in the maps are some strange roads that may get built out to warehousing. One goes from the end of Golf drive to Eastboro way.
Contact keith@openplan.org.uk
Cllr Keith Kondakor c/o 19 Gloucester Close, CV11 6FU
Borough Plan 2015 Maps
This is the first map showing where Labour want to build 3,000 homes on North of Weddington/St Nicolas Park. Also in pink are Hallams plan for 726 homes.
Bedworth Woodlands Rural Fringe
The borough plan preferred option consultation has been delayed until after the county council elections. I suspect the vast housing & employment targets will require the loss of land at the edge of Bedworth Woodlands. The latest assessment of countryside in the borough shows parcel NB21 to be the least “constrained”. In English that means the one at greatest risk. Adjacent parcel NB20 also scores lower than many other potential sites. This may be why it is impossible to publish the consultation paper at this time.
NB20 This parcel of land is defined by Bedworth Lane to the north; Woodlands Lane to the east, development at Bedworth Heath to the south and the borough boundary to the west.
NB21This parcel is defined by field boundaries along the boundary of the Green Belt designation to the north, the A444 to the east; Woodlands Road to the south &
west.
Borough plan too hot for public to see before elections
I have had confirmation that the Borough plan consultation was pulled from the cabinet meeting on the 13th March as a result of my freedom of information request to see the pulled paper. It should have just been delayed till the cabinet on the 5th April but is too hot to put out during the election period.
The preferred option consultation would have reviled the Labour/Tory Borough plan working groups site for 7,900 homes and employment land for 12,000 extra jobs. I have not been allowed to know anything about the planned locations even though Weddington is expected to face may 1000s of the extra homes.
It is disgraceful that the location of the all proposed housing is being kept secret from the electorate by the Labour cabinet until after the county council elections. I know some borough councillors will be standing in the county council elections. Those in power need to tell us what is planned.
see request and reply
Subject: FW: RE: Environmental information request – borough plan as of 5th March
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:02:33 -0000
From: FORD Kelly <kelly.ford@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk>
To: <keith ..>
CC: RICHARDSON Philip <philip.richardson@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk>, FRANKS Alan <alan.franks@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk>, POWELL Ian <ian.powell@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk>
Keith,
I am writing to you to inform you that I am unable to supply you with the information you request below. Your request is refused under Regulation 12 (4) of the EIR which states that a public authority may refuse to disclose environmental information requested if;
(d) the request relates to material which is still in the course of completion, to unfinished documents or to incomplete data
(e) the request involves the disclosure of internal communications.
and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
As you are aware, the Working Party was set up to take forward the Borough Plan and to allow free and frank discussion to take place on what is potentially a contentious issue. The outcome of the meetings of the Working Party, specifically a report on the Preferred Options for the Borough Plan is scheduled to go to Cabinet in May. To release the earlier report, which was withdrawn from Cabinet on 5th March because extra time was needed to fully consider the implications of the inspector’s decision on Coventry’s draft Core Strategy, would cause confusion and a misunderstanding of the information presented.
If you are not happy with this response, you can complain to the Council under the Complaints Procedure. You can also contact the Information Commissioner. I have provided details below.
Information Commissioner
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545700
Fax: 01625 524510
Website: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Regards
Kelly
Kelly Ford
Head of Planning Policy & Economic Development
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
—–Original Message—–
From: Keith Kondakor [xxx]
Sent: 07 March 2013 14:33
To: FORD Kelly
Cc: POWELL Ian; RICHARDSON Philip
Subject: Environmental information request – borough plan as of 5th March
Hi Kelly,
I am formally requesting a copy of the borough plan consultation paperwork that was initially going to be presented to the Cabinet on the 13th March 2013.
I am making this request under the Environmental information regulations as a member of the public.
This is not a request for any future version of the but a copy of the information that was prepared on or before the 5th March for presentation online and in printed agendas (i.e. before the decision was taken to withdraw the item).
I also request a copy of the agenda and minutes of the Borough Plan working party meetings between the 1st January 2012 and today.
Finally if it is not made available in the above request then I request a list of those attending and invited to each borough plan working group meeting between the above dates.
Keith Kondakor
Borough Plan pulled from cabinet meeting on 13th March
The Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough plan should be the road map to how our borough is improved over the years to 2028. Sadly it is being developed in great secrecy (apart from the leaked maps in 2012). Targets will lead to the build on most of the land between St Nicolas Park and the A5. The consultation was original due in October 2010.
The consultation details should have gone to the Cabinet meeting on the 13th March 2013. At the last moment the item was pulled. I suspect this is connected to NBBC trashing the Coventry City Plan at their inquiry.
2 faced Tories
On October 18th the Tories announced they where withdrawing from the Borough plan working group – there website states “Conservatives Refuse to continue with ‘Whipped’ Working Group”. Sadly in private they have continues to be members of the working group but just send apologies for not attending meetings. This is the worst of all options. Sadly Des O’Brien, the Leader of Tory group keeps supporting Labours targets in planning meetings.
Previously secret Nuneaton flood risk maps obtained.
Green Party councillor and campaigner Keith Kondakor has obtained previously secret Nuneaton surface water flood risk maps using Freedom of Information regulations.
The maps show areas that may be flooded by over 30cm (one foot) of floodwater due to surface water. Areas at risk include sites of potential new housing as well as existing homes.
These maps have been produced by the Environment Agency to assist local authorities in planning development and for flood risk planning. Sadly they have not been released to the public or developers though they may be published in around a years time. Most people including councillors were unaware that these maps even existed
Flood defences, balancing ponds and sustainable drainage systems will be needed to reduce the flood risks in areas highlighted in purple on the maps but care will also be needed to reduce surface water runoff into the areas at risk.
For the Weddington fields development site a large part of the West side could be flooded by over a foot of water. I am very angry that this map was not provided to campaigners at the time of the Weddington planning inquiry. Ahead of the release of the currently secret borough plan the developers seem to be targeting the areas of highest flood risk.
It is immoral to increase surface water flood risks when the local authority has a map of which areas need special care.
I have uploaded the detailed maps for Weddington and St Nicolas ward. This can be reproduced as long as the copyright/licence information is not cut off.
Cllr Keith Kondakor
Weddington 1 in 200
Weddington 1 in 30
St Nicolas park 1 in 200
St Nicolas park 1 in 30
Nuneaton 1 in 200
Nuneaton 1 in 30
latest email – only labour & Tories matter!
This is the latest email from Cllr Aldlington. Their system shuts out small parties.
Keith,
Currently there are no vacancies on the BPWP, I have asked the Tories to
reconsider their position (they have yet to respond).
The recipients of your emails are not the people who can grant you a
place on the party; you will need to speak to the respective groups
(i.e. the current administration Labour group and the opposition
Conservative group) who make up the working party. The Labour group
currently fill all their allocated positions. If the Tories decide to
stay on they also have the requisite number on the working party.
It will be for groups to decide should they want to give up one of those
places for you, not officers, or indeed me.
Your email below is mis-leading. I did not say it would be allowed for
you to join the working party, what I actually said was that if the
Tories wanted you on then they could give up one of their positions, but
that is their call.
Constantly bombarding officers with demanding emails is also
unacceptable.
Danny
Cllr. D Aldington
02476731050
07754066779
danny.aldington@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk
Tories back plan for community option
Great news:- The Tories in Nuneaton & Bedworth are to run with my idea to develop a community driven option for our borough plan. As expected the Tories do not give me credit for the new plan but its a positive move.
http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/News/Tories-send-out-call-to-arms-over-borough-plan-24102012.htm