Planning Applications on Local Authority Land

Is it a private, L.A. or PPP developer ?

The development in question includes two pieces of land in Public Ownership. One of them is currently an amenity walk on a redundant rail line. The establishment of this amenity walk was as a result of a Part VIII process. The Developer has indicated that the access to the development will be by a road which he intends to construct on this land – clearly a proposal that is at odds with the earlier Part VIII process. It is not clear if the land will be sold to the Developer or if the L.A. will develop the roadway. It is blatantly obvious in any case that the width of the amenity wall is not sufficient to allow a roadway that would comply with the LA ‘s own development standards to be built.
Since I posted my question I have become aware that a letter of consent from the LA has been included in the application.
Any thoughts on the propriety of this whole process?

What aspects?

Developing the land at all, or doing so without the consent of the elected reps?

Both I guess really – the previous Part VIII process was drawn out and controversial – the Councillors did an excellent job in deflectinging huge opposition from vested interests (adjoinining landowners). Now in my opinion the exectuive is giving these interests a stick to beat the Council with and undermining the concept of an Amenity walk. The proposed development incidentally is a replica of a previous one that was refused Permission on appeal – again the Executive appear to be ‘bending over backwards’ to faciliate this development.

“PFI has now descended into farce,” he said. “It has produced very poor results in terms of design, cost control and manageability, and now it can’t even finance itself.”

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3135425&c=1&encCode=000000000192014c