Credit where its due

Nothing gives the Dame greater pleasure that administering a pat on the back to councillors who stand up and be counted or do good things.

Cllr Husband received an encomium (that's praise Clouseau Palmer in case you thought it was a service from your site) as he has done an exceptional job in raising huge sums of money for charity.

Cllr David Lindsay has received the Dame's Pat on the Back for courage in standing up and suggesting Myers take a 'haircut' causing Darhling Dalton to explode in anger.

Now, Cllr Campion gets a big kiss for standing up to huge property interests and doing what was right.

David Campion did what few other councillor dare do, he put an aggressive and unpleasant architect in his place for daring to scream at the planning committee questioning his ludicrious plan for one of London's most beautiful and unspoilt roads, Phillimore Gardens.

So what caused this 'hissy ' from the cake eater's architect friend, Mr X? The planning committee were looking forward to an uneventful evening with just three "recommended for approval" applications - but things were about to change

First off was an application by the Lord to put an additional 25% on a house in the Phillimore Estate and infill a historic gap between the neighbouring houses.

One resident spoke briefly against the application and asked the applicant to consider making minor revisions to the plan, supporting suggestions made by the Kensington Society.This polite intervention was the trigger for a violent tirade as Mr X then laid into the committee in a most aggressive manner- a sample....

“I am shaking with rage about any suggestions to modify our plans. We are proposing the removal of an excrescence of a roof.... changes to our plans would be an act of vandalism” and “this development is an act of philanthropy.” but when hard nosed architects talk of philanthropy it's time to count your spoons - it's generally about profit .

It was his final comment, “We are managing change and enhancing the conservation area – this is just modest work to reveal the asset.” that led the chairman Cllr David Cameron to mildly interject that it was for the committee to decide.

Campion presumably though his emollient approach might quiet the still livid architect, but far from it: everything was now a personal slight.

The good news for democracy and the over arching of influence of the friends of the Cheese Cake Eater is that having asked a number of reasonable questions the Committee decided to turn it down- a turn up at last for resident democracy and . Well done Cllr Campion and committee.

So come on cllrs you have nothing to lose but your chains by doing what is right - not what He wants you to do.