Gateshead Council spends much time on the need for "family homes" in Saltwell & Bensham yet has no plans to build any.
Even if it did suddenly develop plans it would need to deal with the problem that rooms are now smaller in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. They are even smaller than the houses they have tried to demolish.
Government adviser CABE (Committee for Built Environment) has done a survey of houses built between 2003 and and 2006. The average room size being just 15m square in Britain - the smallest in Europe. Total floor space of new builds in Britain being 76m square. This compares with the US figure of 214m square and Australia at 206m square. Denmark has 137m square on average for its citizens.
As always this blog tries to helpful to "demolition central" in Gateshead Civic Centre. When they do get around to proposing replacing demolished streets with more than grass they will need a disclaimer for prospective purchasers to discourage them from swinging a cat in their front room and damaging the walls such will be the lack of space for buyers.
Links
BBC News Magazine
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Marching Troops Up The Hill And Down Again
In a curious replica of the action of the Grand Old Duke of York the planning department tried to get their controversial demolition programme through their own planning committee for the third time last week. Just hours before the meeting they stopped their attempt citing proceedual problems.
Gateshead Council usually try and slip controversial measures through during the holidays in the hope that the citizens of Gateshead will be too busy packing their suitcases to pop into the council offices. At first they put out public notices saying response needed to be placed by 24th July. When they failed to even notify the people whose homes they wanted to demolish they extended the objections to 31st July. When they got complaints from people who were previous objectors this was extended to 6th August. Objectors were told the committee would definitely meet on the 12th August 2009 and decide whether to give permission to demolish.
Residents put their names forward to speak on demolition, put in written objections and national charity SAVE Britain's Heritage put in it's objection.
The last two planning applications to demolish homes were unlawful. This one was pretty much the same application so how the bureaucrats of the planning department thought it might sneek through is beyond belief.
So just 24 hours before the planning committee was due to meet the meeting was cancelled. Different residents have been given different excuses as to why the planning committee was cancelled. One excuse was that there were procedural problems. There were - the sending out of notices was a complete mess. Another excuse was that there were legal problems. There were - this application was the same as the previous two "unlawful" applications.
The real reason is that the tactic of trying to get a controversial matter through during the holidays failed. People noticed and objected. Now perhaps Gateshead Council will listen to residents and withdraw their controversial demolition proposals.
Gateshead Council usually try and slip controversial measures through during the holidays in the hope that the citizens of Gateshead will be too busy packing their suitcases to pop into the council offices. At first they put out public notices saying response needed to be placed by 24th July. When they failed to even notify the people whose homes they wanted to demolish they extended the objections to 31st July. When they got complaints from people who were previous objectors this was extended to 6th August. Objectors were told the committee would definitely meet on the 12th August 2009 and decide whether to give permission to demolish.
Residents put their names forward to speak on demolition, put in written objections and national charity SAVE Britain's Heritage put in it's objection.
The last two planning applications to demolish homes were unlawful. This one was pretty much the same application so how the bureaucrats of the planning department thought it might sneek through is beyond belief.
So just 24 hours before the planning committee was due to meet the meeting was cancelled. Different residents have been given different excuses as to why the planning committee was cancelled. One excuse was that there were procedural problems. There were - the sending out of notices was a complete mess. Another excuse was that there were legal problems. There were - this application was the same as the previous two "unlawful" applications.
The real reason is that the tactic of trying to get a controversial matter through during the holidays failed. People noticed and objected. Now perhaps Gateshead Council will listen to residents and withdraw their controversial demolition proposals.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Gateshead Establishes "secret police" for Streets
Just two months ago, to great fanfare and publicity, Gateshead Council established a "street warden" scheme to advise them on residents view on their mass demolition project in Saltwell & Bensham. This was despite the fact that the area already has a long established residents association. Some suspected it was merely a cover for the council to fix their flawed non-existent consultation process.
Saltwell & Bensham Residents Association put in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to find out who had been appointed as "street wardens" so residents could discuss their concerns. To our surprise the council have said that the identities of the "street wardens" are a secret. Members of the residents association also understand that council officers "invite" suitable people to become "street wardens"
Secret government has long been a feature of British society. Until 1994 the existence of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) was denied. This despite 23 Bond movies and various novels by John Le Carre. The current "M" being Sir John Scarlett. The real question is who is "M" in Gateshead Council running the "street wardens"? Do they use codes or secret texts to disguise their real identities?
In former East Germany it was said that 1 in 3 people worked for the secret police. Could the pensioners at the end of the street be observing you for Gateshead Council? What were you carrying in that Tesco bag and will you engage in anti-social behaviour?
Street wardens, spies behind the curtains, secret police, you decide? Right now who knows and "M" in the Civic Centre is keeping it secret.
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