Planning Matters

The outline proposals for the redevelopment of the St Clements Hospital site in planning terms are reasonable; overall, the site will be largely cleared apart from the locally listed Victorian central block and some remaining health care use at the north east corner. The vast majority of the trees, the golf course and the social club will remain. This will allow a total of 227 residential units to be built (at one time the proposal was for 500 units). However, the Officers recommended refusal as the affordable housing suggested is 4.5% as against IBC's gold standard of 35%; further the section 106 offer was £180,000 against an Officer calculated £1,500,000. The officers clearly feel that there is considerable room for profit for the developer which was, of course, strenuously denied. The financial considerations will be adjudicated on by an independent adviser which the public will not know about, as under the Local Government Act it is "commercially confidential". I find this perfectly legally correct approach incompatible with our current aspirations in transparency in all aspects of our governance. The Bill dates back to 1974 but it's not likely that the coalition will change it.

I should add that there is a strong tide of objection to the proposals coming from the Chilton Road area.

Signs of the revival have hit planning with a 10% year-on-year increase in applications some of which are for intermediate size housing schemes.

The Planning Committee met on 4.12.2013 to consider St Clements, as well as Tesco (which was withdrawn).

Mike Cook

Ipswich Society visit to Newhall Be, Harlow