Regular readers of The Barnet Eye will know that Councillor Maureen Braun, Chair of the Hendon planning committee is a big fan of sheds. She erected one without planning permission (despite being the Hendon planning Boss) read all about it here -
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/932954.No_permission_for____stealth____shed/ -
Now Mrs Braun has yet another opportunity to put her encyclopedic knowledge of sheds to good use. How you may wonder. Well her deputy chair is Councillor Hugh Rayner. Unlike many other councils, Barnet allows property developers such as Mr Rayner to sit on planning committees. Whilst many other Councils think that this is dangerous, as a councillor could set planning precedents and then take advantage of them, Barnet lets developers like Mr Rayner be the deputy chair of plannimng committees. A cursory look at Mr Rayners register of interests show that he's especially busy in Tangmere Way, NW9. Check these :-
So what has all of this got to do with the price of fish you may ask? Well on Monday 6th December, there is a planning hearing chaired by "Shed Specialist" Braun. Well it seems that Mr Rayner has objected on behalf of a "neighbour" (odd given his own interest owning the house next door) for a planning application for 16 Tangmere Way (next door to one of his properties). The "neighbour" seems to have an issue with the removal of the shed. So the deputy chief of the planning committee who owns the house next door is complaining "on behalf of a neighbour" about the removal of the shed. The chair, who also has a history of "sympathy to sheds" (especially her own) has to decide on the application.
You can review all of the paperwork here :-
http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/meetings/meetingdetail.asp?meetingid=6225
Here are a few snapshots to whet your appetite.
So there you go. I am tempted to attend the meeting on the 6th and see what Mrs Braun has to say about Mr Rayner and his support for sheds. I'm sure that there will be no conflicts of interest whatsoever and no favours called in. In Barnet, we're just not like that at all.
I don't see why the planning minion would dismiss Joe-Public's objections, but it is sent to committee because of a "Councillor".
ReplyDeleteThis could become -
"Shedgate"!