chainsaw-massacre

SOUTHEND COUNCIL

CHAINSAWMASSACRE.UK

TAYLOR WIMPEY + SOUTHEND CITY COUNCIL (SCC)

DESTRUCTION REPORT + VOTE BREAKDOWN

DEVELOPER: TAYLOR WIMPEY

DEVELOPMENT LOCATION: FORMER CANTEL MEDICAL SITE, CAMPFIELD ROAD, SHOEBURYNESS

DECISION MAKER: SCC DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE (DCC)

DECISION RATIFIED: 5 July 2023

DESTRUCTION REPORT

[1]

44 TPO PROTECTED TREES DESTROYED (TPO = tree preservation order)

19 MATURE TREES DESTROYED

TOTAL DESTRUCTION

63 TREES, EMBANKMENT & WILDLIFE HABITAT

DESTRUCTION MAP

SHOWING LOCATION of 44 TPO PROTECTED TREES, EMBANKMENT & WILDLIFE HABITAT DESTROYED AND REPLACED WITH AN APARTMENT BLOCK

APARTMENT BLOCK

40 X MAPLE & HAWTHORN DESTROYED

EMBANKMENT & WILDLIFE HABITAT DESTROYED

1 X TURKEY OAK DESTROYED

1 X ATLAS CEDAR DESTROYED

2 X SYCAMORE DESTROYED

COUNCILLOR VOTE BREAKDOWN

10 VOTED FOR TAYLOR WIMPEY DEVELOPMENT

Cllr Brian Beggs (St Lukes Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Steve Buckley (St Laurence Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Alan Dear (Belfairs Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Nigel Folkard (Chalkwell Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr John Harland (West Shoebury Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Martin Berry (St Lukes Ward – Labour Party)

Cllr Margaret Borton (Victoria Ward – Labour Party)

Cllr Anne Jones (Westborough Ward – Labour Party)

Cllr Maxine Sadza (Milton Ward – Labour Party)

Cllr Paul Collins (Eastwood Park Ward – Liberal Democrats)

4 VOTED AGAINST TAYLOR WIMPEY DEVELOPMENT

Cllr Fay Evans (DCC Vice-Chair) (West Leigh Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Chris Walker (Eastwood Park Ward – Conservative Party)

Cllr Matt Dent (Kursaal Ward Labour & Co-operative Party)

Cllr Nick Ward (DCC Chair) (Shoeburyness Ward – Independent)

2 SUPPORTERS AGAINST TAYLOR WIMPEY DEVELOPMENT

We thank Cllr Richard Longstaff (Leigh Ward – Green Party) for his support. He had to leave the room, couldn’t ask questions or vote because of apparent predetermination due to comments in the Echo. CLICK HERE to read article.

This exclusion contravenes the Localism Act 2011, which clarifies the rules on predetermination. Rules on predetermination“were developed to ensure that councillors came to council discussions - on, for example, planning applications - with an open mind. In practice, however, these rules had been interpreted in such a way as to reduce the quality of local debate and stifle valid discussion. In some cases councillors were warned off doing such things as campaigning, talking with constituents, or publicly expressing views on local issues, for fear of being accused of bias or facing legal challenge.

The Localism Act makes it clear that it is proper for councillors to play an active part in local discussions, and that they should not be liable to legal challenge as a result. This will help them better represent their constituents and enrich local democratic debate. People can elect their councillor confident in the knowledge that they will be able to act on the issues they care about and have campaigned on.”

Source: A plain English guide to the Localism Act, (p.5). Department for Communities and Local Government Publications, 2011. CLICK HERE to read.

We thank Cllr Steven Wakefield (Shoeburyness Ward – Independent) for speaking at DCC on behalf of residents against Taylor Wimpey's destructive proposal. (Cllr Wakefield is not on DCC, so couldn't vote).

Footnotes:

[1] TPO stands for Tree Preservation Order. According to SCC’s website TPOs ‘safeguard trees or groups of trees, which make a significant contribution to the amenity of an area. These trees are then protected from cutting down, topping, lopping wilful damage or wilful destruction.’ CLICK HERE to read more. Notably, the TPO to protect the 44 mature trees on the former Cantel Medical site was ratified by DCC on 12 October 2022, however the above DCC Members rescinded this decision only nine months later and approved their ‘wilful destruction’.