Tonight I witnessed in the main an incompetent bunch of councillors discussing planning applications for the area.
I was sitting in the gallery amongst local Faversham residents, neighbours, and familiar faces – but tonight they were there in force because they were unhappy with a planning application I had submitted.
Tonight was the end of one hellish journey and I’m glad it’s over and can now fully understand why Faversham suffers so terribly when change is even suggested.
Many many months ago I asked Swale a question and they replied very positively. And so began a long journey of plans, more plans, discussions, and finally a scheme that was deemed ‘good’ and then submitted in November 2015.
Swale didn’t host all the submitted documentation – omitting the dialogue between us (architects and myself) showing the positive comments during the design process. The public consultation period was extended three times due to the public outcry. The plans were passed at Faversham Town Council in December 2015 without comment. But as the public comments online grew, *laminated posters adorned lamp posts and the *Faversham pools insinuated that child policies would need revising if the house was built, the *local press also decided a good story was in the making.
(*Bullying and intimidating tactics that were threatening, upsetting and plain horrid)
Faversham fury was in full force – the wicked developer was at it again! How dare a new house be built!
More site visits followed more dialogue and then quite suddenly a change. No longer could the application be supported, and the emails went cold, councillors shuffled about and heads dropped.
Yup pre- plan is complete fucking waste of your money, and your time and ensures that you end up looking like the devil incarnate for following a process.
Nigel Kay, you were a diamond tonight! He pretended not to know me even though he was a director at Faversham Enterprise Partnership when I worked there for nine years.
He looked awkward and uncomfortable.
I might delete this post tomorrow but for tonight it will do nicely because I am so pissed off with our democratic transparent planning process I want to share it with you all!
Hey, next time just let me burn the money, at least it would keep me warm and look lovely as the notes caught the light and gave out heat and colour!