Gateshead Council sent a unique form of Christmas Greeting to residents in Saltwell and Bensham today. Annelise Hutchinson, Head of Regulatory Services, Development and Enterprise sent a letter entitled; "Neighbourhood Notification About An Application For Determination Of Prior Approval".
It is worthwhile posting this title as a contender for the Sir Humphrey Appleby award for bureaucratic doublespeak. Those readers too young to remember Sir Humphrey should simply watch any DVD of "Yes, Minister" to find statements of the same ilk.
In actuality this is the bizarre notice that Gateshead Council have to send out to allow Gateshead Council to ask Gateshead Council if they can demolish people's homes. Gateshead being the applicant, the judge and the jury of an application to demolish.
Why cause such distress to residents at Christmas?
This is habitual. Gateshead Council almost always waits for a statutory holiday to produce important notices in the hope that residents preparing for Christmas don't notice the man from the council with the clipboard and bulldozer. They really don't care about pushing home some anxiety and stress to ordinary working people wanting a few days of decent time with family and friends. In the view of many residents the objective has always appeared to be - maximise psychological damage in order to drive people out of their homes.
Gateshead Council list homes they don't own as targets for demolition and may be breaking at least one undertaking they made to a Judge earlier this year. They try to get out of this by saying they are only seeking approval to demolish houses they own. Which begs the question why they list for a approval houses they dont own. Back to the tactic of generating fear, doubt and anxiety amongst residents.
A member of the Residents Association stopped by Gateshead Council today to collect paperwork on the proposed demolition. One council officer casually said that they [Gateshead Council] had no plans for development and were just going to grass over the area.
In order to avoid a proper environment impact assessment Gateshead Council have a letter from Government Office North East saying that an environmental impact assessment is not necessary. This is simply a casual disregard for the people who live in Saltwell and Bensham by a government minister.
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