Deputy Roy Le Herissier was interviewed earlier, by the voice, describing the inadequacies of care for the elderly people in Jersey http://voiceforjersey.blogspot.com/2009/01/who-cares-in-jersey.html
Senator Freddie Cohen, the Minister for Planning was also interviewed here (2 Blogs down) extensively explaining his personal philosophies and planning policies.
On the 19th of February 2009 Freddies Planning Department REFUSED permission for Mrs.X - a well known campaigner for the rights of older people - to build a small wheelchair friendly bungalow in the garden of her house at Trinity which would be suitable for her and her severely ill husband and a resident carer.
ON THE OTHER HAND the same Planning Department GRANTED planning prmision on the 2nd of October 2008 for the construction of a new house for an applicant in St John to provide accommodation "to suit the needs for an ageing dependant relative" - the owner's mother - and this is for a structure that can be easily seen from the public road across open land and is to be detached from the main house which is a "paricularly fine site of Special and Historic Interest" in the Green Zone and for which no sewer is available.
The permission has been granted, so it seems, on the basis that some recently constructed stables will be demolished in order to construct the NEW HOUSE and it is implied that the new dwelling (which includes a Master bedroom suite plus another en - suite bedroom) will only be an extension of an existing staff unit. But the design drawings show otherwise. The new house is not integral with the staff unit - they are seperate dwellings with their own entrances and staircases, kitchens etc.
Yet the Planning Permit is worded;
"To remove existing stable block. Construct extension to and part of existing building and enlarge for dependant relative".
It may or may not be significant but the owner of this property is SENATOR FREDDIE COHEN the MINISTER for PLANNING and he claimed in his most recent election manifesto to be "an independent full - time politician with no conflicts of business interests" and he promised a "fairer society" with "equal rights and opportunities for all."
View the video below and SEE THE 2 SITES in their PROPER CONTEXT.
UPDATE.
Senator Freiddie Cohen has objected to some of this Blog entry's content. "The Voice" has offered to publish the e mail recieved from Senator Cohen, which outlines his objections, but he refused this by saying "I do not publish comments on blog - sites." If any of the information is incorrect and Senator Cohen would like to correct it we would be more than happy to publish his corrections.
16 comments:
This is an absolute outrage, utterly disgusting. How the hell can these people keep getting away with this!!!! Keep going guys, you are doing an absoutely sterling job but please be careful.
Carrie
You are on to something here which everyone else is to frightened to say anything about.
Cohen's planning permission has been denied countless less offensive others. I wonder why.
What do you expect from Mr. Iconic? Presumably he got an architect with a knighthood to design his little extension.
Saddest of all are the buffer zones of paddocks that the wealthy have created around their substantial properties . I remember when every field was cultivated. Now we have an equestrian desert.
Well well well
Am i shocked no
rs
There are over 1500 horses in Jersey - you would think that cars had not been invented.
Why are they allowed to have fields that are so sacred whilst so many thousands of people have no homes and Freddie wants to force them into the St Helier Ghetto?
How is it we accept these everyday inequalities? Proved or not, there is always the feeling that some are more equal than others.
Make the comparison between the spacious housing of Trinity and St John with that along Green Street and Pier Road in St Helier, especially the social housing and tower blocks. The contrast of affluence and poverty are evident spatially. Yet the streets are quiet.
We are ruled by a governing clique that contains a Housing Minister whose prime policy seems to be to sell of stock rather than build desperately needed affordable housing.
Their social system is bankrupt, just like their banks. Get rid of them all. Change direction. Revolt!
Well, well, well. Typical of the double standards that apply on this corrupt island.
Are the media aware and would they put it to print in any event?
Absolutely no surprises there, i know of a company X that applied to build an extension (height wise) to their property but were denied. Then a big building company who i will also name X were given the rights to do the exact same.
Sorry for the X's but one has to be carefull around here, not for me but for the person who explained it to me.
And it happens all the time, its the not what you know but who you know principal.
Cohen will not leave his prestigious position because at the end of the day he has power over anyone else in the states. And us mugs pay his wages!!
Did Senator Cohen get Planning Permission for that ugly green fence on his SSI house?
According to his current Planning Permit he has to remove it but if he never obtained permssion why was he not prosecuted? Only asking
Well there you go, our trusted states minister doing the right thing, looking after himself again.
There really do take us for a ride, no wonder people are fed up with them. But if we complain they stick together like glue.
What can we do, the media don't do the right thing & report on these miscarriage's of justice.
Its totally wrong, as long as we have this kind of ministerial government with all those constables as yes men, we haven't got a chance.
As long as its not in my parish attitude.
You scratch my back you can get away with murder.
Mrs X should get permission. What was there reason for knot.
All these strories you have given to us are what we need to know about, not the tosh we get given to us by the school boy media, that are to sh*t scared to tell.
keep it up.
Do you think Freddie will hold on to his seat at the next elections? I don't
VFJ,
Thank you for another piece of excellent journalism.
VFJ any chance of interviewing jimmy perchard?
A case of do as I say,not as I do.
Where all the correct procedures followed in these applications?
How can one be approved and the other rejected ?
Any wise person out there,who perhaps knows the planning regulations better than I do ,could perhaps enlighten us?
If personal circumstances are not to be taken in to consideration, then why does F. Cohen's own application have the words "Construct extension to and part of existing building and enlarge for dependant relative"?
Great exposé, this planning by personality has been going on for decades. I have used my own experience of this on my article http://lcorby.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/jersey-channel-islands-justice-system-the-jersey-way-2/
The piece of land I refer to in this article is of no agricultural value, you hit shale within two inches down on this land.
Yes I could have had planning years ago on this land but the backhander I was asked for by the then President of IDC (John Le Sueur)as it was then called was totally unacceptable, morally and ethically! I have put the details in the article because I was utterly disgusted and still am by it.
I am 56 years of age and partially disable, my husband is 60 years of age this year and has a heart condition. My husband is Jersey Born and comes from a long line of De Gruchy’s. I have been here over 40 Years and my children were born in the island, we have been hounded by the planning department over the years all because we wanted to live in peace on our own bit of land, that is useless for anything else.
Yes, I would still love to have a little echo friendly low level property on our land that I could leave to my daughter so she didn’t have to leave the island in order to be able to afford a decent home, but with TLM saying things like ‘You will never get planning on your land as long as I am in power’ I don’t hold out much, if any hope at all.
I have had to watch extensive planning permission granted for others in the area my land stands for numerous years, land which is in the St Ouen’s conservation area, which mine if you go and look at it really isn’t, it cannot be seen from the Five Mile Road at all! But then apparently what we want is detrimental to the amenities, goodness, what B****y amenities I would like to know, as there are none as far as I can see.
Anyway, I have a B in my bonnet on this subject having seen so many diabolical decisions made by IDC now planning over so many decades. Carbuncle winners and huge extensions for the wealthy in areas that no one else is allowed to have anything, land that hasn’t been granted planning for untold years that when sold to the right person gets planning consent almost instantly is common in this island.
I bet they pass the massive plans for ‘Sunset Nursery’s’ which is at the bottom of ‘Old Jubilee Hill’ in full view from the Five Mile Road, when they have never entertained even the idea of passing my plans put in, and my land is situated at the top of ‘Old Jubilee Hill’, completely out of view from the Five Mile Road.
I do hope Senator Freddie Cohen reads this and gets back to me; I have never spoken to him and have nothing against him personally, about time someone in our planning department started passing real homes for the locals.
Yes I am stuck in St Helier, and I am a country person, who is an ex Grade A show-jumper who has represented the island, over the years I have used the ponies we have had for free for the disabled children in the island, and I have taught a lot of what Senator Freddie Cohen would probably call the under privileged children in the island to ride, and be able to follow an equestrian career.
It is one sport that is very expensive, but when I had the funds to do so I have always helped others.
Not all people who love horses are financially well off; they do it for low wages just for the love of it!
I am not motivated by money, I am motivated by love, and am a humanitarian by nature, humanitarianism is something a lot of States Department, States Members need to learn about and practice when making decisions that affect other people lives!
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