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I attended the meeting of DDC's Planning Committee last week where they considered a difficult and complex application, CGI's proposals to build at Farthingloe and the Western Heights.
The officers, probably under considerable political pressure, had recommended approval, but with the number of houses at Farthingloe reduced to 365. The councillors on the committee (with the notable exceptions of cllrs Cronk and Gardner) disregarded this and gave approval for up to 521, despite the fact that Farthingloe is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which should afford it the highest protection, and contrary to the core policy of DDC's own Local Development Framework. The reason given was the need to secure investment on the Western Heights (although virtually no mitigation is proposed at Farthingloe where the vast majority of development will take place). But worst of all, some councillors actually tried to water-down the very sensible conditions the officers recommended be imposed to ensure that the investment in heritage and for the community actually happen.
Cllr Norris (also Chair of Dover and Deal Conservatives) said that they shouldn't fetter the developers too much and should trust them! He seems to be unaware that the primary goal of a developer like this is to maximise the return on their investment. In fact that is probably their only goal. If you don't impose conditions through the planning process, the commmunity will get diddly squat from a project like this. So, I have to conclude that we can no longer rely on the current (Conservative) administration to protect the District's environment. I'll put my cards on the table and say I live at Little Farthingloe, so take a keen interest in what is proposed opposite my house. This also means I know better than the members of the committee the impact this will have (some were downright dismissive of that impact; "houses are nice to look at" said Cllr Beresford). But this has implications for the whole district.
No part of it is safe from developers if Farthingloe (in AONB) is not safe. I was a Conservative District Councillor on DDC from 1998-2011, including for a time Group Leader and Vice Chair of the Planning Committee. Following this meeting I resigned from the Conservative Party. Our environment, our landscape and our heritage is NOT safe in their hands and they won't get my vote any time soon.
