More planning problems at Whitehaven Golf Course
Here we go again ...
Local residents have raised concerns about works taking place at Whitehaven Golf Course where planning permission has been given for a small hotel to be added to the facilities for the site.
A number of earth mounds have appeared, and parts of a dry stone wall have been removed. A local resident, one of whose ancestors was involved in building the wall, tells me it is over 150 years old.
I have raised the matter with the planning department at Copeland Council who have assured me that
1) Officers will visit the site early in the coming week to check the height, width, and position of the earth mounds and verify compliance or otherwise with the planning permission, and
2) The council's understanding was that the wall was to be retained. They have a call out to the consultant for the applicants asking that no further works on the wall take place until the matter is resolved.
Local residents have raised concerns about works taking place at Whitehaven Golf Course where planning permission has been given for a small hotel to be added to the facilities for the site.
A number of earth mounds have appeared, and parts of a dry stone wall have been removed. A local resident, one of whose ancestors was involved in building the wall, tells me it is over 150 years old.
I have raised the matter with the planning department at Copeland Council who have assured me that
1) Officers will visit the site early in the coming week to check the height, width, and position of the earth mounds and verify compliance or otherwise with the planning permission, and
2) The council's understanding was that the wall was to be retained. They have a call out to the consultant for the applicants asking that no further works on the wall take place until the matter is resolved.
Comments
The Planning Department at Copeland BC are working for the Golf Club against the public interests. Things never change.
a) Approve plans to build 3 metre embankments round the course? This is claimed to screen the Clubhouse and the Chalets from the landscape when in reality all it does is deny the public our rights to see any landscape, it looks like Drigg Dump. No competent authority would approve this.
b) Condone and take no action against the Golf Club's dangerous unlawful Driving Range? Officers, both Planning and Legal refuse to put this breach of a democratically determined Planning Application back before the Planning Panel. Even Councillors both Labour and Tory refuse to ensure any semblance of democratic accountability. If a windmill stops for six months, a mere breach of Planning Conditions then it has to be dealt with straight away, however when the Golf Club construct a dangerous Driving Range in breach of Planning Conditions, Health and Safety Act and Highways Act everyone runs around to protect them, and stick two fingers up at the PUBLIC.
c) Give the Golf Course away to Western Lakes Ltd for £235,000? It was worth significantly more than that in 1995 when it was a jungle never mind in 2006 when it was a profitable golf course. Was this really Best Value?
There is one name that keeps cropping up, this is the Golf Club’s consultant/facilitator - Mr Bob Metcalfe in the guise of MJP Associates. Mr Bob Metcalfe is of course Copeland BC's former Director of Development, good friend of the Head of Planning and several other Senior Officers at Copeland BC.
The whole situation stinks.
2) It would have been far better if the original decisions had been properly enforced, but the advice of the safety officers is that the driving range is safe provided that the ROW is moved and appropriate screenhing in place.
3) I asked to see the independent valuation of the site, and I have seen it. I would dearly like to tell you what it said, but unfortunately the council solicitor has taken the view that this document should remain confidential. I regard that as an unwise decision, but it is legally sound and I would be breaking the National Code of Local Government Conduct if I released that information.