Sunday, April 12, 2009

Planning?

What with the paintings all over the Pier Head, the thatch restaurant, and the removal of the balcony above the East Bar door it looks like it is a planning free for all in “Down Town Swanage”. Why are the planning officers so scared to take action?



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 1:27 PM
Posted by at

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is behind this posting? Why did the poster not ask the planners and comment on their approach with the benefit of some knowledge? As readers of this blog know the thatch was the subject of an unsuccessful retrospective planning application a few weeks ago and the owner has to remove it. What may well be a valid question is devalued into yet another uninformed snipe at PDC without a little factual research.

13/4/09 10:14 am
Anonymous said...

I agree - the town's website swanage.gov.uk publishes all planning matters and these are discussed in open meetings for anybody with enough energy to get out from behind their computer monitor and attend. There is even public participation time provided before these meetings.

I am not saying that the planners get everything right all the time but they are not operating behind closed doors either. If anybody thinks that someone has broken planning rules, contact the Town Hall or PDC, whichever has the authority.

13/4/09 4:57 pm
Anonymous said...

So if someone contacts PDC and they find out that there is no planning permission/change of use or building regs on a property what would you expect the reply to be?

We (PDC) cant be bothered!

13/4/09 6:52 pm
Anonymous said...

If the thatch operator had applied for permission it would have been refused, but by doing it without planning permission he has achieved two seasons of trading. BUT park your car on double yellows for five minutes and you are bound to get a ticket. Same council.

13/4/09 7:54 pm
Anonymous said...

I have put the matter of the projecting fascia at the East Bar to the enforcement officer and I will make readers of this blog aware of the reply. Unfortunately the importance of maintaining the character of the conservation area and of listed buildings does not seem to register with wome of the people running businesses within it as we saw with the chorus of "whats wrong with that" remarks over the thatched shanty. There is an attitude among many that because some building they do not like was put up in the past we should give up all attempts to insist that deveoplments be aproapriate to their setting.

14/4/09 12:11 pm
Anonymous said...

Everyone is sick of Planning Policy. It can mean nothing but it can also mean everything!! Anything goes, depending on the whim of those making the decisions at any given time. Planning policies are ambiguous in the extreme and are often open to personal (officer) opinion. So how can they ever be right or wrong??!! This is not a snipe at PDC. This is through experience.
Perhaps Mr Storer was wrong not to apply for planning permission, but as he has found out this would have have been turned down. Why? And why now cannot retrospective planning be considered. What defines a permanent or mobile structure. What or who defines what is in keeping with a conservation area or AONB? Opinion.

How can a straw roof not be in keeping with this area? This roof cover has enabled Mr Storers business to expand to include school visits to take place,so that children/visitors may learn about local seafood and how it is cooked and to try out various dishes.
The painted Pier Head is a fantastic way of showing visitors that artistic talent and creativity is alive and kicking in Swanage (opinion). Thanks to Antonia Phillips she has organised workshops and a display area for childrens artwork. This area of Swanage has not been entirely wasted its been used to its full potential while Nick Storer and PDC planning decide what is best for this site. Apparently happening soon.
PDC do not act behind closed doors, but as with all council meetings, the meetings are controlled in such a way that there is never time or the opportunity to debate a planning issue. We are told that planning is democratic. Mmmm, this is another ambiguous statement. The public are able to write in with objections or support, and are able to air a 3 minute view at the beginning of a planning board meeting, but then that is it. There is no debate between the public and the council. Often there seems to be very little debate between the councillors themselves, which is very surprising. The planning board take a vote, some of these councillors have never attended the site visit and do not necessarily live in the vicinity. Outcome, that locals are left in a frustrated position. It has been suggested that perhaps community and councils could work together, is this a possibility for the future?

17/4/09 7:00 pm
Anonymous said...

So is this being enforced? Or are the officers frightened of loosing their 50% discount on food and drink at Harry's Sports Bar?

1/5/09 10:01 am

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