JAMES BROKENSHIRE

James Brokenshire continues in to 2018 as the Northern Ireland Secretary. He previously worked with the PM at the Home Office, where he was immigration minister. He is the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government.

From 2011 to 2015, he served as security minister at the Home Office with responsibility for domestic national security and counter-terrorism. This included supporting the home secretary with oversight of the work of MI5 and the national police counter-terrorism network.

Mr Brokenshire's responsibilities also included the government's counter-terrorism strategy and he was part of the prime minister's "extremism taskforce". He also led negotiations with the Jordanian government to secure the deportation of the radical cleric Abu Qatada.

He is now embarking on an overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework in the 2018 draft recently published, and well done on that, provided that the changes sew up the little cracks that the syrup has been cascading down as greed takes a hold, sacrificing all that is British to urban sprawl. We are sure that Mr Brokenshire is aware of the issues.

Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP
Secretary of State, Housing, Communities & Local Gov.
House of Commons
London, SW1A 0AA
19 August 2019
Dear Mr Brokenshire:

I am writing to you as a member of the public who took the National Planning Policy Framework document as being gospel – where it now appears that local authorities can run rings around the Government of the day and interpret the requirements as to a rolling stock of land for development, as they want it.

Please see the enclosed copy of my letter to Wealden District Council’s head planning officer, Christopher Bending, dated 10-8-19.

This council forced me to move from a unit that formerly served as residential accommodation, where the cost of building that unit was only £25,000 pounds. Not only was it affordable, but it was very well insulated and with solar panels fitted, it would have been virtually energy self-sufficient. An environmentalists dream.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

At this time Wealden cannot show me where they have land earmarked for affordable self-builds and flat-packs. Obviously, I’m keen to build a replacement home for similar money to the one I was forced to re-model for Health & Safety facilities, rather than demolish it. You should known there is currently an application that is live on the industrial unit, to include additional starter units. But we should ignore the fresh application that may become a matter for appeal if we cannot agree what constitutes mitigation.

I cannot afford to rent at the prices currently charged by landlords, and frankly, it is mental torture to even consider such a waste of money.

It appears to me that Wealden now owe me a special duty of care. But it is equally plain that they are incompetent, in not being able to point me to land for affordable buildings. Where it is their job to keep a stock of land for affordable and more luxurious housing.

The question that then arises is, are this council fit for purpose. They have not made any move to force developers to build the 30% of the 100% that was supposed to be affordable units. So perpetuating a system where the housing market only caters for wealthy landlords, working against the ordinary man of average means.

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Affordable housing uses less energy in the build. Most affordable units can also be sustainable if properly insulated with solar panels and water heaters in the mix, etc.

In the present climate emergency, I cannot understand why anyone would try and stop any climate conscious citizen from following the dream of a sustainable lifestyle. But that is what you did in refusing permission for a £25,000 home, with the benefit that travel to and from a workplace was also eliminated. I now have to travel to work using a car that pollutes the atmosphere – and it makes me sick to think of that, when I was Mr Eco just a few months ago. Where, due to rigid policies and bungling local authorities, we will be unable to meet the 2050 targets that are now law under the Climate Change Act 2008 as amended by the 2019 Order.

Can you please tell me if Wealden will be allowed to continue as they are, flouting your policies and persecuting those who do not bow down to local kleptocrats who are hell bent on milking the electorate for all they can, regardless of the rampant global warming from the present malaise.

Is a Conservative Government going to let Wealden and other delinquent councils get away with not providing low cost land for self-builds, or otherwise arrange for low cost units to be built? And will such “low cost” units be genuinely affordable and/or sustainable?

I look forward to receiving whatever helpful information you might be able to provide, and could I ask you to treat this request as urgent, given that I am homeless and the Planning Inspectorate played a significant part in creating more greenhouse gases locally than otherwise would have been the case.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,

A resident made homeless by Wealden

c.c. MP for Wealden: Nus Ghani

Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP Your ref: 3827514
Secretary of State, Housing, Communities & Local Gov.
House of Commons
London, SW1A 0AA 14 September 2018

REF: PLANNING APPS No: WD/2015/0090/MAO & WD/2018/1584/MRM
HERSTMONCEUX, EAST SUSSEX – WEALDEN DISTRICT COUNCIL

As predicted, a last minute application from the developers was lodged stemming from the Major Outline application in 2015.

Despite our invitation to the developers to meet with ourselves and other interested parties to try and work out a way of protecting our precious historic water supply, via repositioning of the proposed houses away from the groundwater soakage line, our invitation has been ignored.

The developers contacted us about the Japanese Knotweed problem when it became clear that Thakeham Client, hence the Clarion Group and Latimer Developments were not made aware of the well issue by the local authority, nor were the members in 2015. It appears then that this council allowed developers to proceed bereft of crucial information that could well render them liable to criminal prosecution and anyone purchasing/renting such property. Whereas, concerning surface water drainage and the two large ponds, the council sought legal opinion, by way of double standards. We think because they knew the well issue presented them with an insurmountable problem, best ignored in the hope nobody would notice.

It is of course illegal to pollute a watercourse, or encourage others to do so. It follows that to know about a potential pollution issue and do nothing about it or to encourage to pursue a use without appropriate protection measures, would in itself constitute misfeasance in public office, turning to malfeasance and creating a vicarious liability situation for the Members of the council concerned if they are still at this late stage kept in the dark as to environmental law.

Please find attached copy of 8 open letters confirming use of the well(s) in question by several interested parties.

There has been no improvement made to the entrance to make it safe where Highways suggested the developers may be able to overcome the shortcomings identified during the average road speed measurements, but we have noted no improvement to make the exit onto the A271 safe.

Please also find attached copy of a letter of objection from Lime Park Heritage Trust, the contents of which we should like to bring to your attention in considering a call in.

Thanking you for taking the time to look at this matter
.
Yours sincerely,

for Herstmonceux Museum Ltd

EVENTS & TRAINING - Environment Analyst Development & Infrastructure is delighted to announce Building Sustainable Towns and Cities. This packed one day conference will analyse opportunities linked to the current housing crisis and policy initiatives on regional development, planning reform, urban regeneration and environmental protection. The event will bring together those working on the front-line delivering environmental solutions to share best practice with those charged with planning and building the cities of the future. It will feature key presentations on planning reform, brownfield policy, infrastructure requirements and housing market outlook.

"This Government is rewriting the rules on planning. With the major overhaul being published today, we’re giving councils and developers the backing they need to get more homes built more quickly." Prime Minister Theresa May

Bringing together local authorities, planning consultants, architects, house builders, EIA consultants and contractors for one information-packed day, this event provides an opportunity to share first-hand experiences and solutions to many housing and development issues. A topical and up-to-date conference programme, combined with extensive networking and discussion opportunities and a focused exhibition, ensures you can make the most of your time out of the office.

Building Sustainable Towns and Cities will draw upon the recently published National Planning Policy 2018, examining the policy changes; 85 of the proposals set out in the Housing White Paper and the budget whilst looking at how the challenges we face can be overcome:

>> Over 40 per cent of local planning authorities don't have a plan that meets the projected growth in households;

>> The pace of development is too slow; and
>> The very structure of the housing market makes it harder to increase supply

This framework holds stark warnings for both local councils and developers with plans to penalise the latter who do not build homes quickly enough, whilst also highlighting that the Government may introduce sanctions for councils via the housing delivery test, stating that they will be held to account for the number of new homes delivered in their areas, not just the number planned for.

"Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future." Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP

The white paper places the route cause for the lack of housing, unsurprisingly down to the fact that not enough homes are being built and has been building up over many decades, requiring a radical re-think to the approach to home building.

This new conference will look into the issues surrounding the current and future housing strategy, from site to occupation and managing the environmental challenges.

For local authority bookings and for group rates please call +44(0) 203 637 2191 or email sales@environment-analyst.com

Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP
Secretary of State, Housing, Communities & Local Gov.
House of Commons
London, SW1A 0AA 30 June 2018

We are writing to you to alert you to what appears to us to be unsustainable development just outside the village envelope of Herstmonceux, with additional policy deficiencies.

Permission was granted in outline form in2015 to build 70 (windfall) houses on green belt outside the Herstmonceux village envelope, where restrictive policies apply. At that time it is our understanding that the planning officers at Wealden District Council told their Members that it was a planning free for all, and that normal policies went by the board due to a housing shortage.

We do not think that the council officer’s comments were accurate, as we know they have misinterpreted National and Local policies before. It appears that the Area South Planning Committee was misdirected as to important material considerations, also leaving out other pertinent information that would be inconvenient to a grant. This meant the approval was given on both inaccurate and incomplete information – in Outline form.

One major issue yet to be agreed is the current proposal to use a giant septic holding tank to service 70 properties, presumably with emptying on a weekly basis or even more frequently. To us this seems to be a health hazard in the making. We believe that the original proposal to connect to mains drainage is more sustainable, taking away potential problems that are being engineered in at the moment because the developer is seeking to avoid what we understand was agreed when the consent was given. I.e. connection to proper mains drainage.

FAILURES TO ADVISE

The councillors granting consent - by only one vote - were not told about a common law footpath that has existed since 1945 and is still in use today. The Members were told about two registered paths. This/these extra paths of what was open an open field, are a significant part of our heritage and the means by which hundreds of villagers engage with the countryside, especially dog walkers and ramblers.

In our view, where Council’s have a responsibility to register unregistered footpaths, this should have been on the agenda as a material planning consideration, but it was avoided. As such, this was a major failing on the part of the advising officers.

We have our doubts that the Members were informed as to an ancient well that has supplied water in this location since at least C. 1900. In the proposed layout plan, around 25 houses were located on a hill leading down to the ancient well, meaning that herbicidal poisons and other household chemicals would eventually find their way into the water course, thus poisoning the ancient well that has provided sustainable water supplies for over 115 years.

In two other cases the advising officer’s were involved in, they failed to properly advise. A permission granted at Berwick in Sussex was quashed by the High Court in January of 2017: WD/2016/1659/MAJ for 33 homes, 3 shops and 2 offices. Reference: CO/5983/2016. Kelvin Williams was the District Planning Officer in both cases.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE & SUSTAINABLE FEATURES

There are no school spaces for additional children. Given that this is a windfall site, one would at least expect the proposed houses to include energy saving features, such as to allow the UK to comply with the targets set by the Climate Change Act 2008. If we are to meet these targets new housing should include solar heating and micro electricity generation, perhaps with wind generators. Electric car charging might also help with EVs being a condition of occupation.

The only exceptions to restrictive policies apply to housing that is both affordable and sustainable. None of that applies in this case. The housing proposed is a mix of expensive executive housing (70%) and less expensive housing (30%), but nevertheless, still more expensive than any local worker could afford on an average wage.

We should also add that around 300 members of the village opposed the application, but that the wishes of the people were ignored. Lastly, the means of access appears to us to be substandard in terms of a lack of a suitable visibility splay, it being an accident in the making.

This Council owes the District a duty to protect historic assets and public spaces, as well as seeking to meet climate change targets. Not having met any of these pre-conditions (or presumptions from the NPPF), we would respectfully suggest that the grant was inappropriate.

In the circumstances, might we offer that it may be appropriate to call in this application, to be able to be sure that the permission was given was based on correct information, with United Nations sustainability firmly in mind aimed at a Circular Economy.

We look forward to hearing from you and remain willing to assist with additional information and to give evidence at any inquiry, as will a large number of local people who attended the committee meeting where important matters were not put to the decision making councillors.

Yours sincerely,

for Herstmonceux Museum Ltd

WELL, WELL, WELL - Councils that are strapped for cash may be cutting corners and granting consents where they would never have contemplated doing so before and that is because they have been directed to build huge numbers of houses where in the past they were only granting consents in small numbers to keep control over who got the cream. Wealden District Council are an example of a council that is known for corrupt practices. Via a partnership with Sussex police they were granted immunity to prosecution. Since 2015 they have been dishing out consents to developers in the rush to generate additional rates and Community Infrastructure Levy payments to make up for central Government cuts. This is regardless of the appropriateness of mass developments around villages of character and charm and urban sprawl. In the case of the proposed development above, this council is likely to become complicit in poisoning a public water supply from the only surviving well in Herstmonceux village in Sussex, as per the board above protesting as to the impending ruination of their water supply.

How will this affect Wealden's future solvency against criminal prosecutions for environmental offences and civil claims that are uninsurable? Nobody can say. But this council will be leaving the builders and occupiers of those homes built unlawfully to litigate for years to come as to selling houses unfit for purpose - and the council may be vicariously liable for failing to secure reasonable conditions.

Recently, the developers (Thakeham, Latimer and Clarion Group) admitted that they did not know that the well provided water to the public. But said that this was the proposal that the council wanted to see. Does that not smack of a done deal? Surely the committee make that decision, but where a proposal is for up to seventy houses on green belt, we would expect to see alternative scenarios with less houses to mitigate any environmental damage.

Two grants from this council that were challenged in the High Court were overturned by way of Judicial Review. These grants were by the same planning officer and committees as the above application. A water level management board has advised that the proposed surface water run off solution is not sound and will lead to flooding at a point where a sewage pump sub-station is to be located, potentially leading to foul water pollution to add to the misery of slowly poisoning those drinking from this well (they do not have a mains water supply) and destroying a heritage asset in the process.

The access to the site is also substandard, not being wide enough for a safe visibility line on exit to the A271, a narrow road that is potholed along its length because this council keeps spending money on things like doing favours for those in the fold. If the road had been wider and in good condition with the right width access, then they'd only have the pollution issue to contend with. But there is also a lack of schools in the area and the proposed houses will add to climate change in denial of the 2008 Act, when they should have micro energy generating features at the very least and electric vehicle charging points to encourage clean motoring.

Wealden have about-faced a long-term resistance to development on this hill, ignoring National Planning Policies that are designed to protect heritage assets adjacent to proposed development. This council has no local list of historic assets in their area because such a list was inconvenient to their ongoing agendas. Unless a council is directed to do something they will always elect not to.

Theresa May - Prime Mnister

MP for Maindenhead

Damian Green

MP for Ashford

Philip Hammond

MP Runnymede & Weybridge

Boris Johnson

MP Uxbridge & South Ruislip

Amber Rudd

MP Hastings & Rye

David Davis

MP Haltemprice & Howden

Gavin Williamson

MP South Staffordshire

Liam Fox

MP North Somerset

David Lidlington

MP for Aylesbury

Baroness Evans

MP Bowes Park Haringey

Jeremy Hunt

MP South West Surrey

Justine Greening

MP for Putney

Chris Grayling

MP Epsom & Ewell

Karen Bradley

MP Staffordshire Moorlands

Michael Gove

MP Surrey Heath

David Gauke

MP South West Hertfordshire

Sajid Javid

MP for Bromsgrove

James Brokenshire

MP Old Bexley & Sidcup

Alun Cairns

MP Vale of Glamorgan

David Mundell MP

Dumfriesshire Clydes & Tweeddale

Patrick McLoughlin

MP Derbyshire Dales

Greg Clark

MP Tunbridge Wells

Penny Mordaunt

MP Portsmouth North

Andrea Leadsom

MP South Northamptonshire

Jeremy Wright

MP Kenilworth & Southam

Liz Truss

MP South West Norfolk

Brandon Lewis

MP Great Yarmouth

Nus Ghani

MP Wealden

Huw Merriman

MP Battle

CONSERVATIVE CLIMATE - Michael Gove has been summoned to Brussels because of his party's failure to meet air pollution targets despite warnings about which the Prime Minister was aware of.

The United Kingdom has many political parties, some of which are represented in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Below are links to the websites of the political parties that were represented in the House of Commons after the 2015 General Election:

We are concerned with how the make up of the above parties and (reasonably) popular policies may affect the Wealden district, because we are all brothers on two islands in the Atlantic Ocean and what we do or fail to do is likely to rebound on ourselves and our fellow man in other nations around the world. How we act today influences policies in other countries in our global community. It is not just about us and our patch.

East Sussex has five District and Borough Councils, each with a border on the coast. From west to east they are:

As near neighbours and with councils now sharing facilities and working together, these area of Sussex are included in our remit and an area where climate change and affordable housing are issues that need urgent attention. Where the coastline is a feature in every Council, Blue Growth is a food security issue, especially where this side of of our local economy is under-exploited.