WITH reference to the Grovehill and Clariant sites, and the planning meeting held at County Hall on Thursday March 6, where the applications were passed, I note that the councillors who approved the Grovehill site application were all members of the Conservative Party.
this a three line whip from the party, and if so, all credit to councillors Pearson and Bayram for having the welfare of Beverley at heart and not the slavish compliance to the demands of big business and party. They voted against the application, a
long with five other councillors of the Liberal, Labour and Independent hue.
I also regretfully note that apart from Coun Pearson, the members of the planning committee who voted (for or against) do not live in Beverley, Molescroft or Woodmansey, yet they take it upon themselves to ignore the strongly expressed wishes of the Beverley Town Council members who do live in the town. Surely in the interests of democracy a more representative selection of councillors who at least represent the town should have been made.
Why is it that a councillor from only one Beverley ward was voting at this major proposed development of Beverley (at most there could have been three, two were probably excluded for prejudicial interest reasons).
I also find it remiss of Beverley Town Council not to have any speakers attending at the planning meeting, in fact no comment from them was mentioned about the Clariant site at all whereas mention was made of the town council's objections and recommendations for the Grovehill site. These were major substantial developments and the town council certainly made recommendations also for the Clariant site which could have been expressed more forcibly in person. These concerns were not mentioned before the planning committee made its decision.
The application for the development of the cattle market in Driffield had the town clerk as well as councillors speaking on the issues and concerns of Driffield residents and business traders.
How many more shops do we need in Beverley? There are many empty shop premises in Beverley at the moment, probably shutting due to exorbitant rents and increasing competition from Tesco and other large stores.
The town council wanted more green areas, more affordable housing and more leisure facilities than the one planned cinema on the Clariant site.
Why could not the new £20 million Beverley hospital be built on the Grovehill site, surely the site is large enough. Access would be good compared to the present access to Westwood Hospital.
We are losing the market town identity as the number of independent traders is diminishing fast. We do not have any greengrocers left and small independent butchers shops have reduced in number. Even the market stalls struggle, with the relatively high rents charged by ERYC, and falling customer numbers. Other market towns, like Driffield, Malton and Pickering, have a more varied centre. Beverley, in contrast, is fast becoming one long street of High Steet named shops who can afford the high rents, another clone town, sadly.
PJ Dack
Normandy Avenue, Beverley.
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