Today a number of colleagues and councillors gathered to say farewell to Stockton's Head of Democratic Services. Not a job title that grabs the public imagination, but one of the most important jobs in the whole council system (in my opinion anyway). This is the person who has organised elections, guided newly elected councillors through training and advice, supported Select Committees in their scrutiny role, and much much more besides. She will be sorely missed and whoever tries to fill her shoes will find it a difficult and frustrating job at times.
Good luck Fran in whatever you decide to do next.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Will it never end?
This week we've had the revised planning application for Copsewood - slightly fewer dwellings but still crammed onto the site. The only reason for the smaller number is that the developer needs to put an access onto The Avenue instead of onto Yarm Road. The volume developers can offer such a huge price for land that house-owners find it very hard to refuse. As a result anyone who would treat the existing house and grounds with sensitivity is priced out of the market and Eaglescliffe suffers from yet more second-rate architecture.
On Thursday Egglescliffe Parish Council were informed that a developer who is proposing to demolish the Grange on Urlay Nook Road and replace it with 19 flats would like to come and discuss their proposition. The Grange is one of the oldest houses outside the Egglescliffe Conservation Area, although it's had new windows and other alterations that mean it's probably not worthy of listed building status. It's also in a very prominent corner location - I bet they're not planning beautiful building surrounded by lovely trees to grow into the listed building of the next century!
On Friday came the news that the application for reserved matters on the two bungalows to be built in the grounds of Sunnymount has been withdrawn. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I wouldn't be surprised if that meant that the application to demolish the Rookery and Sunnymount in order to build flats is going to appeal.
On Thursday Egglescliffe Parish Council were informed that a developer who is proposing to demolish the Grange on Urlay Nook Road and replace it with 19 flats would like to come and discuss their proposition. The Grange is one of the oldest houses outside the Egglescliffe Conservation Area, although it's had new windows and other alterations that mean it's probably not worthy of listed building status. It's also in a very prominent corner location - I bet they're not planning beautiful building surrounded by lovely trees to grow into the listed building of the next century!
On Friday came the news that the application for reserved matters on the two bungalows to be built in the grounds of Sunnymount has been withdrawn. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I wouldn't be surprised if that meant that the application to demolish the Rookery and Sunnymount in order to build flats is going to appeal.
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