Cllr Lari has shone a bright light on the income received by the Planning Department and he raises some interesting ideas in the letter below.
It seems Cllr Lari forced Graham Stallwood to reveal that the Planning Department received almost £1,000,000 in fees from developers in 2017/2018 in return for the pre-planning advice given to development corporations including those developing Newcombe House and Kensington Forum Hotel.
The payback for developers is the advice leads to a recommendation to grant permission at Committee. This figure is separate from the planning administrative fees that are charged to all applicants and does include any declared hospitality which Planning Officers received from the relevant developers.
The payback for developers is the advice leads to a recommendation to grant permission at Committee. This figure is separate from the planning administrative fees that are charged to all applicants and does include any declared hospitality which Planning Officers received from the relevant developers.
Lari argued in his alternative planning budget that:
1) the planning department should become more self-sufficient - why spend £12m of taxpayer's money on it if it already has the capacity to receive so much funding from developers?
He suggests that residents should not be paying council tax to fund a department that acts as a consultant for large corporations as opposed to local taxpayers. If anything, he argues, there should be an increase the advice fees charged to corporations.
2) He makes the further point that if the planning department can spend energy and intelligence advising developers it also has the capacity to provide expert advice to residents wishing to challenge applications and who are of course fund the department through their taxes.
On Monday 8 April, between 6:00pm-8:30pm in Kensington Town Hall, we are holding an event to discuss the planning pre-application advice service. This meeting will let a range of independent experts and planning professionals have an open discussion with you, our residents, about the planning pre-application advice service. We want to talk about how we can make sure all our planning processes are clear, effective, transparent and fair to everyone. The discussions at this meeting will feed into Scrutiny’s review of the service and potentially help shape our future approach. For more information and to confirm you will be attending the meeting, please email scrutiny@rbkc.gov.uk. For information on how you can get involved with Scrutiny's work of holding decision-makers to account on behalf of residents and further information on this meeting, please visit: https://bit.ly/2u9gdZ8
A million quid? Amazing. Should be quadruple that figure. They get astonishing value...
ReplyDeleteThat's called a developer's bung to the council
ReplyDeleteAt last a Councillor who sounds as though he knows what he is talking about and has a concern for residents. Pity he is not a Tory - he will get squashed.
ReplyDeleteCllr Lari is a banker and a church organist. And he looks like a gentleman. Unusual background and quality person for Golborne Ward alongside fellow Councillors Dent Coade and Mason - two calamities of life.
DeleteChances are that the new Councillor will be bale to hold his own against the Tories with a level hed. As such he deserves the support of the Hornet.
Unfortunately Labour recruits of this ilk move quickly to their next political ambition and do not stay the course. And Lari lives in a swish South Kensington flat so is unfortunately not grounded in North Kensington. Coade and Mason will of course exploit this and try to undermine him.
Lari looks so much more appropriate and convincing as a representative than the wannabe Kim Taylor -Smith, foppish mate of dizzy.
ReplyDeleteAnon should show more respect when he/she is trying to act superior. It is Councillor Lari and Councillor Taylor-Smith. Show some respect when you write your nonsense
DeleteWhat is 6.24 on about? Obviously had a bad night
DeleteThe great mystery is why someone so bright and capable allies himself with mental deadbeats like Pooter Corbyn, Provo loving John 'Semtex' McDonnell and Lady Dent Toad
ReplyDeleteBecause he cant stand imposters like dizzy
DeleteOh, so he prefers keeping the company of a trio who support terrorists?
DeleteGood point 11.02. They are generally a nasty collection of puffers in the Council Chamber. The whole spectrum.
DeleteResidents need a champion on the Planning Committee. Lots of high profile stuff. A chance for a newcomer like Cllr Lari to make his name and get noticed. All he needs is common sense, a thick skin, and read the Hornet to know/understand where residents are coming from.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Was the Million shared? However, RBKC tries to control the audience, by requiring a registration. The meeting should be OPEN to ALL and SUNDRY. Registration should be optional. I guess, that one could just turn up and make his views heard. As for Mr Lori, let's hope he will last a while
ReplyDeleteThese pre application meetings are pernicious. Developers know the rules which they can read for themselves. The value of pre application meetings is getting to know the planners involved, to understand who is who in the pecking order in Hornton Street, what the current political landscape is, and make a judgement about who can be "favoured".
ReplyDeleteIt is appalling that the Tories are so naive. Or maybe not - it is sometimes a personal enhancement opportunity
“One of my biggest priorities will be to stop the ongoing social cleansing in Kensington. Residents are being priced out of their homes and the Borough in favour of luxury development; no graduate can afford to live here anymore.”
ReplyDeleteor anyone else for that matter.....
DeleteSnob !
ReplyDelete