Sunday 3 October 2010

Freddie Cohen’s Castle – under siege

The Reg’s Skips fiasco should have finished him off but the scandals seem to be coming thick and fast up at the Mount Bingham citadel.

Freddie promised that this was to be his last stand and that he would not contest the next year’s elections. There are fresh complaints every week about the planning permits that are granted or those that are not and the current Draft Island Plan review process is revealing serious shortcomings on a daily basis.

Last Friday Terry Le Main was arguing the case for the “CTV” green field housing scheme that had been approved up ‘til the very last minute and then rejected after local lobbying. He was shouting foul play and demanding that it should be re-instated into the Island Plan but the other complaints against Le Main himself and planning offices staff a la Labey will no doubt run and run….

We interviewed Freddie in his castle about eighteen months ago and its well worth looking again at the recordings.

Here we have Part Two (of a three part interview) and it is remarkable how the issue of affordable housing continues to be such a live issue in this tiny Island. Surely it cannot be so difficult to ensure that everybody is adequately housed – especially since the money was running so freely for most of the past thirty years?

Corruption in high places might be at the root of the problem – who knows –but the Planning Inspectors from the UK currently hearing the bitching at the review must wonder what sort of place Jersey is.

Of course, very few members of the public are able to attend the hearings and the accredited press hardly ever drop in.

Team Voice asked to be allowed to make video recordings but was refused. The accredited crowd were permitted – but what use have they made of the facility?
If there is corruption or just plain incompetence at the Planning Department how on earth shall it be exposed and those responsible brought to book?

If you care - look at the video(s).



Submitted by

Thomas Wellard.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

2.35 seconds

Has freddy got a Bat-Phone

Anonymous said...

"Last Friday Terry Le Main was arguing the case for the “CTV” green field housing scheme that had been approved up ‘til the very last minute and then rejected after local lobbying. He was shouting foul play and demanding that it should be re-instated into the Island Plan but the other complaints against Le Main himself and planning offices staff a la Labey will no doubt run and run"

Now who was the developer concerning the "CTV" green field

Anonymous said...

RESIDENTS in La Pouquelaye are upset that trees have been chopped down by a developer.

They claim that they were reassured at a Planning meeting that the trees at the Channel Television site would not be cut down but developer Alpine Contracts received permission from Planning to fell the trees at a later stage.

However, residents say they were not consulted about this and one resident, John Veal, said he was shocked to find five trees gone when he returned home last night.

Neither developer Geoffrey Noel, nor Planning assistant director Peter Le Gresley were unavailable for comment this morning.



Is anyone getting the picture yet.When is a friend not a friend

Anonymous said...

From rico sorda blog hope he is ok with that




Just before the Deputy of Grouville did her summing up on p33/2008

The Deputy Bailiff:
Very well, I call upon the Deputy of Grouville to reply.

Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier:
Before we get to the summing-up, could I ask a point of order, Sir? Could I ask whether the Minister for Housing should not have declared an interest under Article 3 of the Code of Conduct under Standing Order 155 given that some of the fields due for development he is proposing, covered by this proposition, are owned, I understand, by a close friend of the Minister? Should he not have withdrawn from this? Will you ask that the Minister considers a declaration of interest?

Senator T.J. Le Main:
Could I be advised of the close friend? I have many friends.

Deputy G.P. Southern:
I believe it is Mr. Noel of Alpine Estates.

Senator T.J. Le Main:
No, he is not a close friend and I ask you to withdraw that, please. He is not a close friend at all. He is not a close friend and I deny it and if anybody has got the evidence he is a close friend, please bring it forward. He is impugning my integrity. I apologised yesterday to the Deputy of Grouville and I ask the same consideration.



Is anyone getting the picture yet.When is a friend not a friend

Make no mistake the Sh*t is flying

Anonymous said...

Oh dear looks like trees have no more rights than children.

voiceforchildren said...

"Oh dear looks like trees have no more rights than children."

Thanks(?) for reminding me. For those who don't quite get that comment, believe it or not, here in good old Jersey a tree or a wall has automatic right to legal representation in court.........But a child doesn't

Anonymous said...

Alpine Estates - also responsible for the carbuncle at Bonne Nuit (another strange planning decision!). Further, to save themselves from the expense of shoring up the cliff face, which I believe they were required to do, they were allowed to split the land in two – developing on the good land, taking a very handsome profit, and then leaving the other part to crumble (the cost of repairing this will almost certainly be now picked up by the Jersey taxpayer). One must ask how can they get away with it?

Anonymous said...

Alpine Estates,is Geff Noel.

That's how they get away with it.

Anonymous said...

Senator Terry Le Main is scheduled to speak at the continuing Island Plan review on Tuesday 5 October at 10.am. re Samares Nursery (Constable Norman and Deputy Gorst are also speaking).
At 10.45 Terry is speaking re Longueville Nurseries (Constable Hanning and others are also speaking).
On Wednesday 6 October, Terry will speak re Field 1248 the "CTV" site.
Mike Stein, formerly employed by the Planning Office but now an independent Planning Consultant will also speak at the three hearings besides many others.
The meetings are open to the public as observers only. The Tuesday meetings are at the Societe Jersiase members room (use Pier Road entrance) and Wednesday at the Archive building in Clarence Road.
You have been informed - but shall you attend?

Anonymous said...

Is property corruption rife in Jersey ?

November 2008.

I am only a Deputy. I can tell you that three or four people probably did know what was going on including the CEO of WEB, Frank Walker, Terry Le Sueur, Philip Ozouf . I doubt the Board Members of WEB were told. Just remember the directors of WEB and the States appointed ones, Routier, Huet and Perchard are simply put there as nodding dogs. They just add respect and credibility to the whole thing. They are told sod all. They get some kind of agenda and discuss and nod their way through the meeting.

http://planetjersey.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,620.75.html?PHPSESSID=607e8312e887e99f6bdd21c46528bc45

A later post.

Of course people in WEB, Treasury, Chief Ministers office, EDD, Treasury knew what was going on. It was well documented in the JEP that I warned Frank Walker, Terry Le Sueur and Philip Ozouf in one e-mail in May 2007. However, they ignored the warning

Deputy Sean Power
------------------------------------------
Interesting that that both the present CM and Treasury minister were actually informed but chose to ignore ! More questions.

The States Assembly rightly have thrown out on two occasions the idea of expanding WEB so that all public property and land is parcelled into a quango called Jersey Development Ltd.

It is up for debate again, the last charge before the elections probably. If this proposition is successful, it will offer a red light to elected politicians who want answers to questions about public property but it will be far more difficult, sighting commercially sensitivity etc as secrecy tools.

Given the scandal unfolding at planning, given the appalling record, expense and lack of success of WEB. Should this proposition actually be passed on its third attempt? and if it is passed who would really benefit?

Anonymous

el sapo escapista said...

3 October 2010 16:44
Anonymous said...
Alpine Estates - also responsible for the carbuncle at Bonne Nuit (another strange planning decision!). Further, to save themselves from the expense of shoring up the cliff face, which I believe they were required to do, they were allowed to split the land in two – developing on the good land, taking a very handsome profit, and then leaving the other part to crumble (the cost of repairing this will almost certainly be now picked up by the Jersey taxpayer). One must ask how can they get away with it?

Sorry to disillusion you,frankly, you either don't have a clue or alternatively you are seriously mis-informed.