Developers 1, Community 0

Whilst the nation was glued to the England v Germany football game tonight I was speaking for residents at a Tower Hamlets planning committee.

It was a unique application on the Island, for a new block of flats (on a heritage site in a low level conservation area) that straddles the Millwall/Blackwall boundary.

Residents from both wards spoke at the meeting raising issues such as the height, design and insufficient parking whilst I concentrated on the heritage and conservation issues which seem to count for nothing in Tower Hamlets.

Excessive height was justified by quoting the height of a block in a surrounding non-conservation area, while the out of place design was dismissed as innovative.

English Heritage had raised serious & valid concerns but disappointingly had left it to THBC to consider them in their decision.

We have a council leader who, at the last council meeting, claimed to be the borough's English Heritage Historic Environment Champion when I offered to fill the vacant role. This claim was subsequently denied by English Heritage who were still trying to fill the role, and alas, there was no evidence whatsover tonight that she had any interest in the site, had considered the heritage issues, presented any proposals to best retain the heritage or had even read the application.

Tower Hamlets needs a committed Historic Environment Champion appointed before there's nothing left to defend.

As for the wellbeing of existing residents, the need for a daylight study was dismissed based on the opinion of a clearly psychic consultant - the opinion pre-dating the planning application by several months! This despite the fact the new building will be a mere 5m away from the nearest existing neighbour, a clear 30% less than the 7m guideline quoted in another application only a few months ago, (which unsurprisingly was also broken).

I was struck yet again when researching the application by the way planning rules seem to be picked to suit. One minute the existing UDP is quoted, next when it suits it's the newer (and still draft) LDF that matters. Either will do, or not, as the case may be, just as long as it justifies the application. Of course, when an objector quotes from either plan the applicant's defence is always the other one!

The saddest revelation came when I asked how many of the 9 members had attended the pre-committee site visit to consider the application in context and only one hand was raised.

And the scoreline? The usual - developer 1, existing community nil as Labour voted it through against abstentions from the Conservatives and Lib Dems, (Respect failed to show up).