Decision restores democracy faith
GREAT decision by Northumberland County Council planners restores faith in local democracy and gives future hope that green areas can be protected.
Well done to the councillors involved who rejected the application by Bellway to build 200 homes on a green field site in south Morpeth.
These upright and stalwart councillors have restored my faith in local democracy and given hope that similar future applications to blight our green areas will be rejected.
The organisers of the Morpeth South Coalition, who co-ordinated the overwhelming public response and opposition to the scheme, have done sterling work and have been ably supported by the local town council and the Morpeth South councillors, in particular David Holden, David Parker and Andrew Tebbut, who put forward our very strong case.
However, other towns should be aware that the officials at County Hall presented the most unbalanced case I have heard for many years.
Their reports, presentation, conclusions and answers on the night I believed showed they had an agenda and for some reason they set aside any evidence, strategies or objections the local community had.
Anyone not knowing who they were would have thought they were working for Bellway and were doing a ‘sales pitch’ on the planning application for them.
They stated that all previous consultation, regulation, plans and strategies are outdated and existing boundaries in green areas can be removed.
It was as though they had been told to support the application on the main ruse of ‘affordable’ housing, which anyone can see is nonsense in the current economic climate.
JOHN GRAHAM
Morpeth
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Weather for Blyth
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
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