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SALFORD CITY COUNCIL ‘SCANDAL OF THE DECADE’ SET FOR HIGH COURT
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Star date: 22nd December 2020 CRESCENT POLICE HQ 'SCANDAL' GETS COURT DATE A refusal by Salford City Council to grant planning permission to Stama Developments (Salford) Ltd, which former Labour councillor Stephen Ord dubbed the "Local government scandal of the decade", is due to be heard at the Civil Justice Centre in March 2021. The planning application referred to the old Police HQ on the Crescent, which Stama wanted to convert into flats and houses but permission was refused... "There is a multi-million pound lawsuit being compiled as I speak" Ord told a full Council meeting in 2019 "and there is no doubt in my mind that criminal offences have been committed." Full details here...
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Back in 2017, Stama Developments (Salford) Ltd applied for planning permission to convert the old Police headquarters on the Crescent into 117 apartments and 23 townhouses. Local residents and some councillors supported the plans but permission was refused on the grounds of design and green space. The fall-out from that decision has been continuing ever since and is due to end in the high court with a trial date set for 4th-19th March at the Civil Justice Centre, with Stama the claimant and Salford City Council the defendant. Five Salford councillors and ex-councillors have been called to give evidence at the trial with them proposing to be questioned on "The communications and discussions to which this witness was a party concerning the Property, its development and the Claimant's Planning Application (but not limited to) discussions prior to the meeting on 6th April 2017 with other Councillors, and with officers of the Council..." In March 2019, Stephen Ord, then a Labour Party councillor for Irwell Riverside, told his last full meeting of Salford Council before retiring that "The issue of the planning permission refusal of the Crescent police station is likely to turn out to be one of the local government scandals of the decade...", quoting a planning officer alleging that 'a political decision had already been made' before the meeting.* "Do not underestimate the predicament this stale establishment of group fakers has got us in" he added "There is a multi-million pound lawsuit being compiled as I speak, and there is no doubt in my mind that criminal offences have been committed." Ord went on to make a number of serious allegations against the panel chair, Councillor Ray Mashiter, before Deputy Mayor, John Merry, accused him of "smears", adding that he was "appalled" and "outraged" by the attack on the integrity of officers and the suggestion that the planning panel had engaged in criminal activities. Stephen Ord concluded that he looked forward to an apology from Councillor Merry after the matter had been investigated. Now it looks like that investigation will end in the High Court early next year... The old Police HQ is now central to the Crescent Masterplan and looks set to be a site for a new hotel (see here and see here). In mid-November it appears that Salford Council might have tried to settle this matter out of court, with an 'Urgent Executive Decision' taken by Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, authorising the Strategic Director of Place to "settle up to a maximum figure" during mediation. In keeping with Salford Council's record of a lack of transparency and accountability, there are no details of which court case the decision was referring to – and it could be one of several. The only details given are that "Costs of this case are mounting both parties have instructed a QC. Settlement would avoid a lengthy trial involving several witnesses. Any further costs would be avoided..." If the decision is referring to a potential court case with Stama, mediation looks to have failed as the court papers are dated 20th November...
The Salford Star contacted the solicitors acting for Stama Developments but they didn't want to comment. Neither did any of the councillors named in the court papers. Salford Council does not speak to the Salford Star. * For full details of the 'Planning Scandal of the Decade' Council meeting - click here
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Jez CORBYNS twin brother wrote
at 13:11:48 on 19 January 2021 |
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| I have to ask the question if you felt you had acted in good faith and followed procedure allowing the facts your refusal was made on solid ground then why try to deny your barristers the right to fight to protect your name.When your dealing with such large sums of public finance surely the public have it in their interest to be satisfied in your judgement, it worries me and many others the action of the council cause grave issues of judgement and can be misread.Or again are we seeing socialism in action expert in using other peoples money. |
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Bob wrote
at 11:35:55 on 19 January 2021 |
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| To wrote at 9.44, I can only say one thing. The only thing we can trust Salford council to do with this is to cover it all up best they can and put a good spin on it. An agreement made with the other side will be sent to the court. Both sides will agree a non disclosure agreement, the court will seal the order,and both sides will be bound by it.If someone asks any of the council lot, they will say "I / we have nothing to hide, we have always acted properly, however the Court has ordered (which is true,it has) that the matter is closed and not to be discussed so unfortunately we cannot discuss it. To do so would be a breach of the court order (they might even say contempt of court to make it sound better)". I am the most nosey bastard that reads this journal. I would love to know what these arseholes have been up to. I have been trying to find out from those in the know. But they are playing a tight game with this one. Credit where its due,Dennett ,Merry,Blunderbus and the rest of the gang have won on this one. I concede defeat. |
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wrote
at 09:44:31 on 19 January 2021 |
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| Bob we must trust Salford Council to come clean and tell us all. If the elections get delayed 6 months because of Covid like last year that puts the kicked can squarely into middle of election. |
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bob wrote
at 20:15:21 on 18 January 2021 |
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| This is going just like I thought it would,only our mates are using slightly different tactics. What they have done here is kicked the can down the road for six months, hoping the council and mayoral elections are out of the way before it goes to court. I myself cannot see it ever going near a court. We are never ,ever going to find out what went on here and how much it has cost to put right. |
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wrote
at 09:32:34 on 18 January 2021 |
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| Wrote yes I saw that in the M.E.N. last week about getting the case deferred 6 months. Is it a recommendation or a definite and can Salford Star ask the council if it is actually delayed and under what arrangement. Not sure what the M. E. N. means by council having to offer an alternative development site. Seeing as council objection to the police station development was lack of residents green views does the alternative need green space development option and sadly does that not point to Buile Hill Mansion. Must oppose that but how. |
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wrote
at 15:31:25 on 17 January 2021 |
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| Six months put back court date by Salford Council trying to find an out of court solution. Good luck with that idea. So tell us what alternative sites our Council has in mind to offer the developer. Oh and please do not say building homes in Buile Hill mansion is even an outsider location. |
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joe muggins wrote
at 16:22:55 on 01 January 2021 |
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| Wrote, Happy New Year, if the court date is put back, so be it, but the residents of Salford deserve for the case to be heard in a court and not settled out of court as this would give everyone the chance to actually be in court or at least read about the facts of the case and the decide in their own minds the merits of the case itself.
As with Liverpool, the leading lights from the council who have been involved in this matter as a matter of honour should have stood aside until the full facts have been investigated and acted upon.
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wrote
at 15:51:26 on 01 January 2021 |
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| Wrote is correct the hearing will be after local elections. Hope no councillors resign under mental health sickness rules that would enable them not to be called to face the court. Who has biggest balls to take on Labour is yet to be see but be sure they will get a load of agro from the Labour left wingers. |
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wrote
at 10:08:00 on 01 January 2021 |
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| Joe do you know with the Tier 4 lockdown UK courts have their cases put off for months. The case would then be in June. Mayor Election and an all out Councillor Election is due in May. If any old guard uses common sense they will not stand again to avoid being like sitting ducks. Tax payers deserve to know fully what happened. We need an independent Mayor if any suitable is out there listening. |
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Joe Muggins wrote
at 20:01:26 on 31 December 2020 |
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| As a long standing council tax payer I hope that this case does go ahead as planned in March so that hopefully everything connected with this case comes out into the open once and for all.
It is imperative that the full facts are published and the full truth of the matter is arrived at and if required the necessary actions are taken. |
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Northern man. wrote
at 15:39:49 on 29 December 2020 |
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| I thought this news article was about the crescent police station, the rundown cop shop. Not about council housing |
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bob wrote
at 15:03:18 on 29 December 2020 |
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| Come on Ray, tell "truth hurts" the good news about the affordable housing that the housing association is going to put on the castle irwell site.Since my last post,I have been informed it is likely to be over 100 units when its all done. Sounds a lot to me,too good to be true.Come on Ray tell us the truth about Castle Irwell.Perhaps we could get this housing provider to build some more housing for the council, perhaps on the site where Clarenden school was. If you do a company search on this housing group, you will find that its directors are paid a fraction of what the fat cats at Salix ,City West,together and great places bosses get, yet they build more houses? Come on Ray , tell em. |
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bob wrote
at 13:28:45 on 29 December 2020 |
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| Salfordian, like many of his type of labour voter, cannot bear to admit to any incompetence by the Labour party.The peoples party. They have the blinkers on. When I bought my council pad, the council didn't have a choice about flogging it to me,it was the law that they did. But what about places like Ladywell flats and Regent road flats and the flats on Eccles New Road near Langworthy road.All solidly built flats,and paid for years ago. The council despite getting good rents on these,allowed them to go to rack and ruin, and allowed the tennants to trash them.They were sold off to WICKED PRIVATE DEVELOPERS for about a quid each.There must have been over a thousand of them.Look at them now.150 grand each. Many are indeed owned by private landlords, I know people who rent on one of these blocks from a private landlord at what is called affordable rent. Because they are not working, they get all this paid by the council.They love it there.Before then they were on a crap council block, and had loads of grief. All this socialist housing fiasco started with Harold wilson. He took the bait thrown down by Thatchers pin up boy keith Joseph. Watch the video, THE GREAT BRITISH HOUSING DISASTER 1984 by Adam Curtis. There is a bloke from Salford Council on it. Great Vidio. |
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LOL wrote
at 10:09:25 on 29 December 2020 |
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| Has the truth hurts just called Felsey a monkey. Very funny but didn’t a monkey once get elected Mayor in the North East. |
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salfordian wrote
at 01:55:46 on 29 December 2020 |
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| the truth is you and your type bob bought council houses and that is the reason we have a very small amount of housing available for people to live in because the former council houses are now in the private sector and and are now lost to the greed of private landlords bob you are an hypocrite and you should shut up about salford councils antics you are just like them bullshitters united . |
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the truth hurts wrote
at 19:14:37 on 28 December 2020 |
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| Bob-- lets face it pal - the truth does hurt -- and our Raymondo - for all his bravado is just a labour party stooge stuffed into a red shirt given a council seat because they know he won't ask any awkward questions and will always vote for the red wall. Salford Council has been in labour control since 1973 ! - how many council houses have they built ? how long have they been blaming someone else for not doing so - despite squandering millions on individual councilors vanity projects. It's about time some of our salford socialist councilors admitted they have ballsed it up - 47 years of failure - despite having a clear run in power and virtually no opposition. Poor education, poor housing, poor health outcomes, below average life expectancy, terrible air quality, and now being done over every month by housing developers who are making a killing - 47 years of uninterrupted labour council and this is what we have in 2021. (never mind - I'm sure some labour party apologist on here will be able to excuse it all or blame someone else.) in the mean time I'm voting Rossi and Felsey for Mayor -- a monkey has to be better than this shower. |
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Bob wrote
at 13:30:25 on 28 December 2020 |
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| I am with our Ray on this one,and I know that makes a change, but we all have to stand up for the THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, not part truths that whole truth seems to be peddling. We all know what is happening with Bury council, affordable housing and 106 agreements etc on the Cussons site.That bit of what "truth hurts" says is true. What is not true , is the fact that at the other end of Littleton Road, no affordable housing is being provided. I am not accusing "truth hurts" of telling fibs, I am sure he does not know what is going on at the Castle Irwell site, because that is all being kept under wraps by the council.(not as secret as the old cop shop though). I do, and I know Ray does as well.I hope he has not forgot about the housing association that is planning to put scores of affordable housing units on that site. Ray has met these people and spoke to them. Why is he not here defending himself and Salford Councils honour and telling "truth hurts" the good news. Come on Ray tell the truth,am I right in what I say or am I telling porkies? The truth never hurt anyone. |
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the truth hurts wrote
at 23:19:04 on 27 December 2020 |
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| Maybe our local Councillor Raymondo can explain how at the Bury Council end of Littleton Rd a development on the old Cussons soap works can include social housing AND section 106 payments to the people of Bury - but at the other end of the road -- TWO MASSIVE developments both being delivered by multi millionaires can't pay any 106 and have no social housing ?? |
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The Grog wrote
at 17:41:47 on 27 December 2020 |
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| I can confirm that Paul Kelly’s recollections are bob on. |
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wrote
at 18:29:32 on 25 December 2020 |
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| @ Rayofsinshine: First of all it sounds like you’re making excuses for the Council throwing housing stock and land away to developers. “It costs too much anyway!” Secondly, I’ve told you REPEATEDLY that if the Council made developers deliver on their promises for houses of social rent AND collect the fees like they’re supposed to, they’d have more money to spend. The Star did an article on how much the Council has lost in housing and funding because of their actions. The info came from Sheffield Uni. So, AGAIN, if the Council show some spine and fight developers they could get more money. The thing is, as I said earlier in my other comment, the Council only find the money for fighting court cases and other things when it suits them. Examples, Nurseries (they said they didn’t have the money for that then suddenly did), investment at Manc Airport, 2 office blocks down by the river, RHS Bridgewater, that developer in Worsely etc. They’re gentrifying us and flogging housing stock and land to developers for their future plan of Salford, that doesn’t include the majority of the working class people here. And you sit there, make excuses and cheerlead as it happens. You should be ashamed of yourself. |
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Felsey wrote
at 14:49:21 on 25 December 2020 |
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| For those who wish to join observing the Manchester Civil Justice Centre address is 1 Bridge Street West
Manchester M60 9DJ Court building opens on Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. Please do not post a comment that may prejudice the case. Truth will enable us to post appropriately after Justice runs its course. As for the past NDAs please remember if you signed one it could be ended by agreement early if a new Mayor is elected in the future giving new freedom for the press to offer facts of public interest. Interesting year ahead is coming to Salford. Merry Christmas. |
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bob wrote
at 14:47:42 on 24 December 2020 |
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| Ray ,we all know what the law is on non disclosure agreements,we don't need you to tell us. In view of whats gone on, in your own personal opinion,from what you yourself know so far, should this case be settled with a non disclosure agreement,yes or no.simple question. And with that, I wish you, all the readers,all the people at the star a merry Christmas and a happy new year. |
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The Watcher on the shore wrote
at 08:00:36 on 24 December 2020 |
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| Hey rayofsunshine
A fine job Salford Council have done in protecting their reputation. Jeffrey Archer's practically unsullied compared to the town hall mafia. Word on the street is ...( Reader fill this space with your own favourite description !)
Merry Christmas one and all! |
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Rayofsunshine wrote
at 20:13:33 on 23 December 2020 |
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| Bob,whether we like it or not,under British Law Corporate Entities,such as councils,are allowed to
protect their reputation;hence non disclosure agreements! Such legal instruments,i.e non disclosure agreements,cannot be used to cover up illegal or corrupt practices!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,Bob! |
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May Bee wrote
at 15:21:57 on 23 December 2020 |
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| I imagine Bob is correct but then again if a new Mayor gets the job in 2021 they can decide to do a pubic interest executive order and allow the press freedom to print. |
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bob wrote
at 14:29:35 on 23 December 2020 |
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| I assume our Ray knows his stuff as they say as regard to his figures on the cash. If you need 100 million To start off 5000 houses ,then I guess you need 1 million to start 50 the way the council do it. So if this case settles for 6 million, is it fair to assume that the council could have got 300 houses of the ground with this money? Another thing, given the public interest in this case, does our Ray think it right to settle cases like this with a non disclosure order? |
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Rayofsunshine wrote
at 13:19:14 on 23 December 2020 |
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| Wrote,why are you so asinine? As I've pointed out many times,the council neither has the cash or budget heading to fund a major housing programme!
For example a commitment to build 5000 homes over
a five year period would require an initial cash commitment of £100 million, yes that's correct, £100
million! Tell us,smart alec Wrote where would the money come from? |
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wrote
at 11:33:39 on 23 December 2020 |
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| Whatever gets said in court no matter what it is can be published, but it has to be bang on right or you are in deep shit.Since this case is a good story, does this mean someone from the Salford Star will be there all the time? If so,I sympathize with them.Nothing worse than them court chairs, they make your arse ache, and 12 days of mostly legal bullshit. |
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bob wrote
at 11:04:20 on 23 December 2020 |
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| This case will not go to court. It will be settled before it does, and there will be a non disclosure agreement, so we will not find out the details. That is my prediction. I would have loved to have known all the details,but there again,I am just a nosey old bastard. |
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paul kelly wrote
at 23:41:46 on 22 December 2020 |
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| I and a few others had court dates after being involved with that building when it was a police station it was an amazing place you would always accidentally fall on your way in to see the nice desk seargent from the police van and be helped up by the kind officers with some well aimed kicks and punches and you left with some lovely bruises and we were all completely innocent of everything me lud i enjoyed my Bexley square magistrates court appearances pure vaudeville best free entertainment in Salford a monday morning parade of the sad the mad and the bad all found guilty of various misdeeds even when completely innocent no one got off at Bexley square some real characters trod the boards all mostly sadly passed on. And who remembers hiding the salford city reporter which came out on Thursday so your parents did not spot your name in it in the before the bench section and worse still your and there address bringing shame on the house and family oh happy days. |
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wrote
at 20:48:51 on 22 December 2020 |
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| Funny how the Council finds money to fight against a developer that’s not one of their mates (the ones that paid for a trip to France) and goes in the face of the new Crescent development plan. Yet all those other developers who fail to deliver social housing or pay their fees, we’re told - by our Ray - that the Council doesn’t have the money. Well this proves they do, as does the fight in Worsely over development, investment in Manchester air port and that sudden £1m they found for the Nurseries they supposedly didn’t have. |
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Michael Cullen wrote
at 18:31:06 on 22 December 2020 |
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| As the chair of the local neighbourhood association that found themselves embroiled in this mess I shall await the outcome with interest. |
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Salford Star wrote
at 17:17:15 on 22 December 2020 |
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| Sorry but a lot of comments on this cannot be posted in case they prejudice the case |
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Peter G Burke wrote
at 16:51:38 on 22 December 2020 |
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| Nothing new with Salford council its time we got rid. Over 70% of complaints with held by the local ombudsmen meaning in over 70% against the council they had failed the people of Salford the ones they are supposed to serve. The correct wording should be Salford council are self serving and not fit for purpose. Its time the people of Salford woke find an independent who will serve the people not there self. |
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wrote
at 15:27:17 on 22 December 2020 |
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| Sadly, I think political decisions are been made before most hearings or meetings to do with development, building and regeneration.
Once again PATHFINDER rears its ugly head. |
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