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SALFORD COUNCILLORS TO MAKE FORMAL COMPLAINT AS PEEL HOLDINGS BOOTHSTOWN PLANNING PASSED
 

Star date: 1st September 2016

ANGER AT PLANNING LEAD COUNCILLOR WHO APPEARED TO SUPPORT PEEL HOLDINGS BEFORE MEETING

Three Salford councillors are to make a formal complaint to Salford Council's Monitoring Officer, arguing that Planning Lead Member, Councillor Derek Antrobus, appeared to publicly support Peel Holdings' controversial application to build 132 houses on greenfield land in Boothstown before this morning's meeting.

Councillors are supposed to judge applications impartially and Boothstown councillor, Bob Clarke, who was against Peels' plans, sat out the debate. After the vote in favour of the application, angry residents verbally attacked Antrobus and Peel's reps.

Full details here...

Salford Council passes Peel Holdings Boothstown application
click image to enlarge

"The decision that has been made today proves that Salford Council will never, ever listen to residents..." Councillor Robin Garrido


Salford Council's Lead Member for Planning, Councillor Derek Antrobus, got a verbal lynching off one angry resident following this morning's planning meeting, after he proposed accepting Peel Holdings' plans to build 132 houses on greenfield land in Boothstown.

Other residents who packed the meeting threw insults from afar and slapped Peel Holdings reps ironically on the back for having perceived over-close links with councillors and officers....

`The system's a joke'... `it was fixed'... `it made a mockery of the process' were just some of the (printable) observations as residents showed their disdain for councillors who had voted 6-3 in favour of Peel's controversial application.

The meeting came against a background of Peel holding a `pre-panel meeting' with councillors and officers, bombarding voting councillors with literature in favour of the development, and Councillor Antrobus appearing to support development in Boothstown, despite councillors having to judge applications impartially on the day.

Antrobus had made a speech at the last full Council meeting in favour of spreading development in Salford to outer areas, specifically referencing Boothstown... "We shouldn't listen to NIMBYs in some areas saying `We won't take more housing'" he argued "because the consequence of that is to put more stress and more pressure on those urban cores...".

The Lead Member for Planning had also appeared, pre-meeting, to taunt Boothstown residents on Twitter... `Only one in 10 new homes in Salford are on greenfield land; ironically 52 in Weaste and Langworthy, just one in leafy Worsley'...

While Antrobus was allowed a vote at the planning meeting, planning panel member Councillor Bob Clarke, who had campaigned against the application, wasn't allowed to take part at all.

Now the three ward councillors for Boothstown are to put a formal complaint to Salford City Council's Monitoring Officer, Miranda Carruthers-Watt, next week...

"Councillor Antrobus made his decision before this planning meeting that he was going to accept it" explained Boothstown Conservative Councillor Robin Garrido "He spoke at the last Council meeting and, whatever words he used, he was saying `I believe these houses should be built'. That is against planning regulations.

"Three ward councillors have decided that we are going to take advice with the legal officer of the Council about the actions that Councillor Antrobus has taken" he added "We do not believe that as Lead Member for Planning he should have a vote on the planning committee if he's making strategic decisions. We believe that's totally wrong and we are going to take him to task on that. We will be making a complaint."

Far from being `NIMBYs', residents had made logical arguments when speaking at the panel meeting – and these were supported by three of the Labour councillors on the panel, who voted against the application.

Resident Shazli Azmi, a young mother and doctor at MRI in Manchester, slated the gridlock in the area already, and told how it was taking two hours to get to work because of traffic congestion... "It's impossible to get off the estate in the morning and it's adding three to four hours on my working day" she explained, adding that the local nursery was so full there is no guarantee of a place...

"I've spent ten years training as a junior doctor and can't work the days they want me to work just because of where I live" she said.

Her sentiments and those of others who spoke about the gridlock were backed up by Labour councillor, Ronnie Wilson, who is not a resident of Boothstown but spoke of "unbelievable queues" on Leigh Road...

"I've never known an area so congested for so long" he said, imploring those who believed Peel's statistics showing that its development wouldn't add to that, to "go through the area yourselves, it's unbelievable..."

Michael Howard of Boothstown Residents Association, told the panel that Leigh Road, originally built for horse and carts, remained unchanged, despite the transformation of Boothstown from village to suburb recently. Stephen Varley, of the Moorings Estate Residents Society, gave figures on the volume of traffic on the A572, saying the problems were so acute the local MP and Council actually held an `urgent summit' to try and resolve it... "Until there is a solution there cannot be a strong enough justification for this application" he concluded.

Peel's representative, meanwhile, stressed `community support', `engagement with the media' (the company refused to answer Salford Star questions on the application) and how "every effort has been made to listen to the community", causing much laughter amongst residents.

Indeed, resident Martin Seeley, condemning the `concrete jungle' Salford Council was encouraging, quoted the city's motto, `The welfare of the people is the highest law' and changed it to `The welfare of Peel is the highest law...'...

"Take on board what ordinary people are saying" he told councillors "This is your constituents here..."

In response, Councillor Derek Antrobus stressed the need for new developments and the `considerable benefits' of Peel's scheme, including `rare' Section 106 payments.

However, fellow Labour councillor, Peter Wheeler, questioned the details of the social housing provision put forward, and said "We can't go on pouring more houses into the existing infrastructure and expect it to work...it's the same all over the city."

His points were supported by Councillor Charlie McIntyre, who said he had concerns about air quality and traffic pollution... "to add to it is inappropriate" he explained.

Councillors Wilson, McIntyre and Wheeler voted against Peels' plans but six other Labour councillors voted in favour. It left residents and local councillor, Robin Garrido seething...

"The decision that has been made today proves that Salford Council will never, ever listen to residents and will never listen to reason either" he told the Salford Star "What we have seen this morning is resident after resident coming before the planning panel giving reasoned arguments, not just emotional arguments. Yet the panel has just approved the building of another 132 family houses with no schools for children to go to, no places in the doctors surgery, no buses to take people to the places they need to go...

"I think it's a travesty of justice that, yet again, we have a Council that pays lip service to the community but does not listen to what the community has to say, and seems for some reason to be totally starry eyed about Peel" he added.

"Peel will not be content until they have built on every scrap of greenfield land in Boothstown or Ellenbrook, or anywhere in the city that they actually own" he insisted "This isn't going to stop the residents. We might have lost this battle but we haven't yet lost the war, and we will continue to fight for every scrap of green land in Boothstown to stop it being developed - and maybe the planning councillors will be their own people and will not follow the leadership..."


• For more details on the application see previous Salford Star article – click here


*After approving the Boothstown application, councillors unanimously approved Peel Holdings application for the next phase of MediaCityUK, with one abstention from Councillor Bob Clarke. The Peel representatives spoke of the company's "strong relationship", working closely with planning officers, councillors and Urban Vision on the project.

Councillor Antrobus expressed how "very pleased" he was with the "fantastic" proposals. When councillors questioned the total lack of affordable housing on Media City, possible traffic problems, lack of schools etc they were told that the outline application had been passed in 2006... "Our hands are tied" explained planning chair, Councillor Ray Mashiter, cheerily, "it's all outside our determination..."

See also previous Salford Star article on the MediaCityUK application – click here
Sandra Robinson wrote
at 12:15:53 on 20 September 2016
This will be the thin edge of the wedge with Peel putting forward more plans until they have built right up to the back gates of the Mining Museum in Astley Green. Peel always get their own way in the end. They are a law unto themselves. As someone already pointed out there are brown sites that could be used, but they prefer to use greenbelt instead. Appalled, but then again, it seems to be the same idiots that push this stuff through! Not just Boothstown will be affected, as this will start to impact on Astley. Roads through Boothstown are now over capacity as many use this instead of heading to Manchester on the East Lancs Road. The bus lanes on the A580 and additional traffic lights and congestion have forced people to change their routes to work.
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Brexit wrote
at 18:16:10 on 06 September 2016
@ wrote, since brexit confidence in the country has actualy increase in the country, totally opposite to all the doommongers biblical disasters that was to fall on the country, Australia, China, New Zealand, even Germany want to make trade deals with us, that's why we're called great Briton, because that is what we are, great. Just look at the history of this small island. What we need to do is keep the doommongers away from the brexit of Europe. I have full confidence of this country to grow out side Europe. @ wrote if you like the European federal state so must, then you and all the other small minded defeatists have the freedom to go to the European federalist state and ask for asylum, this country needs people with optimism and can do attitudes, not white flag waving defeatists like you and your fellow communist comrades. So byyyyyyy
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Graham wrote
at 18:02:37 on 06 September 2016
In full agreement Mary .Council tax is high in this city with very little in return . Why are we paying for the excesses of the Swinton Chimps Tea Party ?
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Mary Ferrer wrote
at 07:11:49 on 06 September 2016
Now let me see what I am paying for and not getting.i will start with the environment we are living in. Streets not being cleaned.waste bins overflowing.We are about to have our black bins emptied every 3 weeks.Will now move on to our parks. Pop down to Light Oaks Park,have a look at the pond.if you can find it for all the overgrowth of weeds.We then have the rats and the smells. Where are the flowers,grass cutters.And again overflowing bins.Now our roads and pavements.Potholes,broken flags,lights out.The council also removed the flags from the conservative area on Claremont Road and replaced them with tarmac. When I challenged them over it,they said they would replace the flags.8 months later,NO flags.Poor workmanship,please feel free to pop down to Bolton Road the block where we have hundreds of takeaways and have a look at the resurfaced path.Best go when it rains to get the full impact of the fantastic work we have paid for. We do pay towards our police,what has happened to our PCSOs,they were a viable presence not anymore. Now before you say it's the cut backs.The problem we have in Salford is our councillors are not very good at housekeeping.Should they look after our environment or give themselves LOANS to keep the white elephant afloat (Lancaster's community stadium) Now do they take 106 monies and planning fees from PEEL and FRED DONE and other developers and put it back into the community for our parks,the answer to that one is a big fat NO.I pay £1.600 in council tax and I am getting sod all in return.
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Michael James Felse wrote
at 07:10:41 on 06 September 2016
Let me say from Spain on the third of the Skills Conferences as the 2016 UK Tutor of the Year ambassador the EU countries do plan to buy from the UK. They see the UK as the most advanced in skills and education. I am busy building a world skills education network to be based in Salford. It will double the university youth take up in Salford and all areas if Manchester with a net income to our region exceeding £8billion. This will also enable a building of 148,000 new homes to reduce our housing waiting list which is one of my priorities. Best wishes from Spain. Felse.
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B. Inman wrote
at 07:09:39 on 06 September 2016
A reduction in services without an appropriate reduction in charges is corruption in the real world . But as always bent grubby councils are allowed to fleece us all even more than usual .
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wrote
at 18:43:26 on 05 September 2016
@brexit no I'm not a councillor of any colour. No council tax haven't gone down, but government funding to councils has, so there's going to be a reduction in services of course. Like most other councils we have reduced refuse collection. I recycle and get that removed regularly so my black bin is regularly only half full with 3 of us in the house. As for Brexit, with the USA and Japan both warning us of the negative know this could have on us I think reduced bin collections is going to be the least of our worries!
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Brexit wrote
at 16:15:20 on 05 September 2016
At wrote, let's start with weekly bin collection. Since it's gone to fortnightly and eventually every three weeks, maybe monthly. We've not seen a reduction in our council tax, seeing were getting less for more. @ wrote, you wouldn't be a labour councillor would you. Try attacking the ones in power who are selling salford to their millionaire friends.
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wrote
at 14:10:03 on 05 September 2016
What services are you paying for that you aren't getting Mary?
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Mary Ferrer wrote
at 07:21:29 on 05 September 2016
Yes we need more homes,affordable housing for the people of Salford. We need family homes,we need one bed flats/apartment's (bedroom tax) we also need better roads,more doctors and school places. Most of this won't happen. Why cant we use the plots of land that now have knee rails around it,where houses use to stand. And if you drive around Salford there is lots of these plots. Why use our green space,when we have all this spare land. This council for what ever reason are losing revenue from all the new build across the city,by not getting planning fees,plus 106 money.its not as if we have loads of money.Salford labour council over the last 5/6 years must have received a hell of a lot of council tax,with all the new build across the city,what are they doing with it. We are not getting services that we are paying for
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wrote
at 17:33:36 on 04 September 2016
Tracey, sadly Green Belt is no longer protected. Planning laws favour developers now thanks to the Tories and councils are virtually powerless to stop them.
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Tracey wrote
at 15:47:13 on 04 September 2016
we might need more houses because this council decided to pull down all the terraced houses and high rise which were affordable to everybody but they should never of allowed private landlords to buy them up let them get run down and the council decide to pull them down and the fat cats build high rise "apartments" nobody can afford - green belt land is supposed to be protected hence the name - all the heritage is being eradicated by this council - well said Mary pity you are not still a councillor
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James Ollier wrote
at 12:44:39 on 04 September 2016
Get that we need more houses but build the roads first to get people out, extend roads round the back of Boothstown down to the East Lancs, Bring the dead Junction on the M62 at J11 right up to near the East Lancs for quick access, DO SOMETHING!
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JD wrote
at 12:44:22 on 04 September 2016
Spicy a visionary ? She couldn't see further than her grossly overpaid salary as an executive bullshitter . A greedy self serving parasite .
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Brexit wrote
at 09:07:26 on 04 September 2016
Salford lad is right, all these decisions are made behind closed doors before the main vote, all councillors are told how to vote, some told to vote against the proposals to make it look good to the public and make it look democratic. To peter wheeler, this is why you and your fellow labour councillors in the salford council have the public against you, you and your fellow labour councillors are aloof, unapproachable, unaccountable, you are all seen by the public to be on the take, lining your own pockets with our council tax money. You and your fellow labour councillors and the past mayor and present mayor won't answer perfectly legitimate questions asked by the salford star or people who's lives are destroyed by decisions you and your fellow labour councillors make. You and your fellow labour councillors no longer represent the true people of salford, just big business ie peel holdings, the done brothers, salford reds, the BBC. You may get the feeling that the public have no trust in this labour run council and you'd be absulutly right , we don't and the full blame for this lies directly at the feet of all the labour councillors in salford, we have no faith in all of you, to do what's best for the ordenary people of salford, you only work in the interests of the rich and powerfull. If you don't like the perception we the people of salford have of you labour councillors, then either change and start putting salford people first or get used to being seen as all of you as being on the take, as the past decisions by this labour council can only prove we the salford people are right in our perceptions.
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Salford lad wrote
at 07:21:46 on 03 September 2016
Mary, what planet am I on.? As a former Councillor you will be well aware that most of the deals are done behind closed doors. We have tokenism politics where a couple of ward Councillors appear to disagree or abstain to look good for the gullible voters of Salford. At least new houses wil bring an influx of Tory and Liberal voters who can bring a reality check to the Salfordonians who have antiquated view and would vote a monkey I of it said it was labour. Well done Peel onwards and upwards to change the politics of Salford to. Blue!
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Dave b wrote
at 20:47:05 on 02 September 2016
Why waste money in legal fees against Peel when Pickles will overturn the council's decision and allow the building like they have done with burgess farm. I do find it ironic that all those new build properties in boothstown have "no building on our greenbelts" when their houses were build on greenbelts not so long ago. Hypocrisy in action. Though I do feel for those who don't live in new builds who have to put up with the problems of new development. But we do need more houses.
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Peter Wheeler wrote
at 18:11:10 on 02 September 2016
As a matter of fact it would be illegal to try to whip councillors on the planning committee as they are required to make their decision on the basis of the evidence in front of them. It's obvious Labour councillors were not whipped as three of us voted against the planning application having listened to the case put by the objectors.
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Mary ferrer wrote
at 18:11:07 on 02 September 2016
Salford lad,what bloody planet are you from. We are loosing our green space.we are loosing our history and heritage to make fat cats fatter. They build none affordable housing for the people of Salford.And who allows it to happen lead member for planning and most of his labour crones. Thank god at least a few labour council have the bottle to stand up for the people of Salford.
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Machiavelli wrote
at 15:52:21 on 02 September 2016
We really need to vote these people out. I hope those standing in opposition to these characters will remind us of this travesty of democracy at the appropriate elections. “When many suffer, few seek vengeance; for general evils are endured more patiently than private ones. Niccolo Machiavelli
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Salford lad wrote
at 07:20:37 on 02 September 2016
Antrobus is an experienced planning Councillor who for decades has worked hard to change what was a depressing industrial city with slum crime ridden social housing into a vibrant community a place where people want to be and bring up their family. Fortunately Salford has two partner developers, Peel and Countrywide, who were courted by our former visionary Chief Executive Barabar Spicer and those two developers have made their mark to make this city great. Stop whinging, embrace the change, welcome outsiders the Salfordonians of the last need to jog on !
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Vivien Blackshaw wrote
at 07:09:18 on 02 September 2016
No more houses in Boothstown . The village is full to overflowing. The roads cannot cope. The amenities cannot cope and we need greenspace. The village turns into a carpark at certain times of day and it will be even more so when the new RHS garden opens. Stop housing development in Boothstown and on our greenfields in Worsley . Find somewhere else to build .
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Mary Ferrer wrote
at 22:22:52 on 01 September 2016
If a member of the planning panel make a public comment in favour or against,then they lose the right to vote. But in this case it wouldn't make any difference what so ever. Because all the labour councillors would have been whipped before they went into the meeting. I also like the way the conservative councillors suddenly come to life when something is happening in their neck of the woods. Sod the rest of the City.what PEEL wants they get.its a done deal
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The Fat End of the Wedge wrote
at 22:22:40 on 01 September 2016
Must be happening all over the country. Build and they will come... A never-ending cycle of environmental destruction - that includes so-called 'brownfield' sites, it all leads to more of everything per sq mile, people, cars, poop, rubbish etc. etc. If there is to be any future for this country there needs to be a limit to the population right now, it is way past sustainable as it is.
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Gill R wrote
at 19:26:12 on 01 September 2016
If people want houses in Boothstown they can buy the ones for sale that are cheaper or similar in price to he ones they are building. Don't be fooled there will be council or social houses available - there are plans for only 20 and unless you own a car you can't get anywhere. Well you can't get anywhere fast in Boothstown anywhere for the massive congestion issue. Houses yes but infrastructure first. Antrobus is a self-serving idiot and his relationship with Peel should be formally investigated. The idiot couldnt run a piss up in a brewery - which is why Peel run rings round him and he willingly does their bidding. It stinks of corruption.
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wrote
at 19:25:38 on 01 September 2016
Didn't see the hypocritical Tory NIMBYs protest about Burgess Farm or other parts of Salford which were REFUSED planning permission AND the planning inspector (on appeal by developers) only for it to be APPROVED by the TORY Secretary of State!! Where were you then??
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life is loud wrote
at 18:09:04 on 01 September 2016
Dont see the problem we need more houses
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Bob Clarke wrote
at 17:42:27 on 01 September 2016
Thanks for a fair assessment ot travesty of justice witnessed today
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