Dear Dame,
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| Brilliance |
I was for a short while at the PAC meeting yesterday.
Freeman was chairing.
Freeman and Mills were brilliant.
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| Brilliance |
They were dealing with the applications in detail and challenging them.
Mackover may have just had a bad day.
He was accepting everything that the planning department said and didn't seem to understand why the other councillors weren't accepting the report and recommendation of the planning department
Sent from my iPhone
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Two of our excellent councillors.....well done sir, and madam
ReplyDeleteThis sort of thing has been typical of Tory councillors for years. It's been patently obvious that many of RBKC's senior planning officers slant their reports for or against applicants - not on architectural grounds, but on - ahem - grounds of the applicants' place on the department's "buddy" list. Scandalous.
ReplyDeleteHowever, at last many Tory councillors have had enough and are prepared to publicly disassociate themselves from the department's incestuous relationship with the developers. Bravo!
Who do these planning officers work for? They are obviously not working in the interests of the residents, so what is it that convinces them to support, promote and advise these obscene developments; corruption or ignorance?
ReplyDeleteTime for Makeover to moveover
ReplyDeleteResponding to Kagan. It's simple; they work for the developers. While it's difficult to prove, it's certainly corruption. Once cannot say this of every officer, of course, yet far too many work for the "other side." Some have been in post for years and are senior. They feel untouchable, since no attempt has been made to sort out this important department. Anything to avoid scandal is always the Town Hall watchword.
ReplyDeleteI have had occasion to interact with Councillor Freeman in the past. If the other councillors could be half the councillor he is, we would see a significant improvement in how Hornton Street operates. He didn't always agree with me, nor did he do what I wanted in the end. But he was professional, understanding, meticulous and attentive to detail. My interactions with him both left me inspired by what good people in public service can be like, but also somewhat despondent that the other councillors simply aren't like him.
ReplyDeleteFreeman and Mills. The Dream Team. One is deeply versed in the subject the other wears a heavy pair of jackboots. Together they are formidable.
ReplyDeleteWhat a change from Warwick and Mackover!!
Mills has a powerful kick and knows how to aim.
ReplyDeleteMills gives a good performance, but she can be quite unpleasant and vindictive if it suits her. Don't fall for that flirty demeanour.
Deleteand they are both Catholics!
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth does this have to do with anything?????
DeleteDavid Campion cared about planning and worked hard to understand every case. The thanks he got for decades of effort was to be excluded.
ReplyDeleteDame, do you know who knifed Cllr David Campion?
DeleteTerence Buxton
DeleteNot surprising to learn this. Buxton was a nasty piece of work and the Tories are well rid of him. He was extra close to that other Tory rogue and ghastly person, Cllr Phelps.
DeletePhelps was a fair weather Tory councillor. He made it clear that he only joined the Party in the Royal Borough because it was the Party in power. If Labour had been in power, that is where he would have been.
DeleteEthics?
Ghastly person, Cllr Phelps?
DeleteGhastley person, disgraced ex Cllr Phelps please.
The bloggers must get these things right
Now that the political Leadership of the Planning Committee is sorted out the next crucial step is to appoint the right replacement for Mr Bore. Almost certainly the right person can be found in the present organisation but the political Leadership needs to be crystal clear about what it wants and who can deliver. A U turn seems to be required in the behaviour of Officers. The right internal candidate will know the ropes, the personalities, and how to turn the organisation around.
ReplyDeleteBut Freeman and Mills need to be quick to make the right selection. We never know when one of them may be called away to other duties. And the role of Cllr Paget-Brown is to keep Warwick and Mackover one million miles away from the selection process.
The Royal Borough needs a Director of Planning who understands what Democracy is about. And a person who is not transfixed by property developers and money bags.
DeleteI have great respect for Robert Freeman, but I have (3 or 4 years ago) heard him singing J Bore's praises.
ReplyDeleteHas the good councillor finally changed his mind on that issue? We don't want to find we accidentally end up with a JB clone.
Cll4r Freeman was cast into the wilderness for many years by Cockell who could not stand independently minded Councillors. He also banished Cllr Victoria Borwick and Cllr James Cecil - both went on to develop their talents and abilities elsewhere. Weak Leaders never learn the lesson that you cannot and should not try to hold talent back.
DeleteCllr Freeman stayed on but became distressed and depressed and there was much loose talk like misjudgements about Bore. But Cllr Paget-Brown has wisely rehabilitated sound Freeman who is now much more focused and motivated.
With the greatest respect for the Retired Chief Executive, beware of promoting existing senior officers. Some are implicated in years of questionable activity, to put it mildly. With certain exceptions, good people have left. Others are unqualified.
ReplyDeleteAnother issue is that while the introduction of electronic records may have saved money, it's even more open to manipulation than the old paper records. Officers can and do alter the electronic record at will.
As yet we have no evidence of a change in political leadership within the department. All we have is a handful of remarkably strong and welcome decisions by the planning committee against the developers and the officers who openly promote their projects.
The vast majority of planning applications are uncontested. Decisions are made by officers behind closed doors. It's called "delegation." An examination of the results over the years would shatter any resident's faith in the legitimacy of RBKC planning.
Responding to 18.31, JB's greatest gift has always been the ability to tell his audience exactly what it wants to hear. As he leaves the room his chronic amnesia returns.
Point taken, Sir.
DeleteSenior staff selection is probably the most important responsibility of Leaders which is why I stressed that those selecting the new Director of Planning need to be absolutely clear about what they want to achieve. It is very easy to fudge the process by just "filling shoes" without any thought about what is required or make the mistake of overlooking worthy internal talent by taking the often misguided route of external hiring where the grass always looks greener.
Your warning of incumbent staff is well taken. It sounds like a rats nest. But maybe there is someone there.....
Proven failure and futility (Cllr Warwick and Cllr Mackover) need to be kept well away from the recruitment of the new Director of Planning
DeleteJulie is telling everyone that a certain XXX is corrupt
ReplyDeleteThe Dame has much expertise in delving into certain officers and councillors.
DeletePlease do drop her an email naming names....
Mills is fearless when she sees a "badun". She was equally outspoken in the recent Leadership Election stakes and exposed the "puffer".
DeleteCracking stuff
DeleteMore of this please.
DeleteWe must get to the bottom of all this corruption at RBK&C.
11.38 mentions Mills exposing the "puffer. The "puffer" conjures up images of the fags Cockell used to sell.
DeleteTell us what Mills exposed about the puffer? Did the puffer do the dirty on her a while ago and did she bide her time to settle the score?
It comes as no surprise to me that Julie Mills has received the approbation of the Dame. Her straight talking, no nonsense approach is refreshing. We could do with a dozen more like her on the Labour and Tory benches in the Council Chamber.
ReplyDeleteJulie Mills acted on her own agency and decided to investigate a £ 9 million budgeting overspend at the TMO. She listened to a former TMO Chairman unconvincingly deny any knowledge of the overspend when challenged about the situation by me at a public meeting. Julie Mills later wrote to me with details of what she unearthed. I was particularly impressed because I had never spoken to, set eyes on, or ever met her.
I hear that Julie Mills is a magistrate. The magistracy and criminal justice system will be enriched by her incisive mind and her strong commitment to ensuring that right is done.
I cannot sing the praises highly enough of this exceptional woman. How I wish that she represented the voters in Stanley Ward. I am not a Tory voter but would vote for Julie Mills if given the chance to do so.
I agree with Shane Carter. I would like to see Councillor Julie Mills as Leader of the Council.
ReplyDeleteCouncillor Mills should be Leader of the Council. Go for it Julie.
ReplyDeleteA past Director of Planning in Hornton Street was jailed for corruption. Let us not be coy about these things.
ReplyDeleteWhich one?
DeleteHunt?
ReplyDelete