Monthly Archives: July 2014

Condition 2

UK Docks new Planning Application for River Drive

Please take 10 minutes to read this and take action by 24th July (three days time)
Your objection does not need to be long or complicated, if you only have 5 minutes to spare simply write a line stating your objection.

Firstly the status of our petition oversized shed being built on River Drive South Shields by UK Docks is that ST Council have admitted that the ’shed’ has not been built to plan, and the only course of action available to the Council to consider is to ask the developer to take the shed down, but they have decided not to enforce that action. That fight goes on. Continue reading UK Docks new Planning Application for River Drive →

Uncategorized

Leaflet re: Expansion plans

PLEASE READ – THIS AFFECTS YOU!

tyne slipway-febr14shedmb01lawtop

Further Development at River Drive

News from ‘theharbourview.co.uk’

You will have seen, (probably heard) and been dismayed by the development of the UK Docks site at River Drive.

Some of you have already made your feelings clear by signing a petition protesting against the development (over 300 signatures to date). Others have gone further and registered official complaints with South Tyneside Planning Department, local Councillors, and other professionals who are obliged to protect your rights and interests.

This persistence has resulted in admissions from the Planning Department that the current structure has not been built to plan and that conditions set out in the original planning permission (back in 1996!) have been ignored.

Despite these admissions the Planning Department is refusing to take any action or apply any sanctions and we have had no support from Councillors. This fight for justice will continue.

In the meantimeUK DOCKS has now applied to the council to significantly expand the development with potential for more damaging consequences for the neighbourhood.

We strongly advise that you visit the planning portal at www.southtyneside.info/article/9015/Search-planning-applications

or go to the Town Hall to view the proposals. The planning reference is ST/0461/14/FUL

Reverse Side

Why should I be concerned?

The new proposals will:

  • Create further traffic issues. We are already plagued by lorries and cranes blocking River Drive and by careless parking, this can only get worse;

  • Create more noise, more often, both during construction and also once the site is fully operational;

  • Create an increased risk of environmental contamination, both in the air and to watercourses. The owners have already failed to comply with a planning condition to fully enclose the shed and have let waste from ship cleaning drain directly into the River Tyne;

  • Further compromise our visual amenity. Planning law does not allow us to complain about ‘the view’, although the view is clearly affected. However ‘development that adversely affects visual amenity’ can be challenged, if phrased this way.

  • Affect property prices. Once again planning law does not recognise the potential adverse effect on property prices as a legitimate reason to challenge a planning application but be under no illusion this is a serious risk to the value of your home.

The owners of the yard have already demonstrated their willingness to disregard previous planning constraints and may well do so again and it appears we cannot expect the planning authorities to be even handed.

OK I’m concerned, what should I do?

The planning application is currently open for consultation, but time is running out. This is your only chance to express your views as a concerned resident.

Make your feelings known. Please don’t rely on others to pursue this. The more people who register an objection the more difficult it will be for the Council to ignore strong local feelings. Objections are not limited to one per household.

Register your objections as soon as you can. We only have until Friday 11 July to respond.

How do I register my views?

If you want to protect your rights as a resident and exercise your democratic right to protest you should:

  • Make a formal objection to the Council. Set out your views in writing. Use your own words and let the authorities know how you feel. It would be best to challenge specific aspects of the proposals as well as the general principle that the development is inappropriate.

  • Send your objection to the Planning Department either via the portal or by letter (see below).

  • Copy in your local Councillor. They are your democratic representative and need to be aware of the strength of feeling.

  • Ask for an acknowledgement that your objections or complaints have been received.

Useful addresses

Main planning portal: www.southtyneside.info/article/9015/Search-planning-applications (reference ST/0461/14/FUL)

Email your objections to: planningapplications@southtyneside.gov.uk

Or post to:  Planning Group, Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 2RL.

Condition 2

A Shed Too High?

1 Comment

Senior officers of STC do not accept the proposition that the shed is built 3m too high and that quite detailed drawings are not drawn to scale.  At the same time they do accept that it is built 1 m too wide.  Read more.

More interestingly the plans for the expansion of UK Docks business at River Drive where it is surrounded on two sides by residential properties have caught the attention of the Press outside South Shields.

 

Second Phase

UK Docks

Leave a comment

From: George Mansbridge
To: mick.dawson@theharbourview.co.uk
Cc: Leanne Bootes
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2014 8:21 PM
Subject: UK Docks [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED]

This email has been classified as: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Dear Michael

I know that Gordon has already responded to you following his further review of the file and in particular the report by TWDC to their Board.  I did however want to drop you a line just to thank you for your time yesterday.  I fully understand that there are issues associated with the UK Docks development that you remain unhappy with however I did appreciate the manner by which to conducted yourself when we met; so thank you for that.

We did not get an opportunity to talk about the letter you sent to my Chief Executive. My assumption is that you would still like his office to review this matter as a stage 3 complaint [in accord with our complaints process].  If that is not the case then please let me know and I will pass that information on.

Kind regards

George Mansbridge
Head of Development Services
South Tyneside Council
Economic Regeneration
Town Hall and Civic Offices

Second Phase

Both ends 15.5m

1 Comment

From: Gordon Atkinson
To: mick.dawson@theharbourview.co.uk
Cc: George Mansbridge ; Ian Rutherford
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2014 12:34 PM
Subject: UK Docks [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED]

This email has been classified as: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Dear Mr Dawson

Further to our meeting yesterday, I have gone through the disc and found the TWDC report from 1996, and now attach a copy.  The only reference to the dimensions are in the paragraph I have highlighted on page 1.  The height is said to be ‘approximately 15.5 m high’-I accept that there is no reference to whether this is the inland end, or the riverside end, but when read in conjunction with the drawing (8296/1A) it must refer to the inland end.  There is no reference in the report to the height (or indeed any other dimension) of the proposal having been amended in the period between submission and approval by the TWDC.  There is a reference (highlighted) on p2 which refers to amended plans but I believe this can only be to 8296/4 which introduced the windows  as it is in the context of photomontages illustrating a solid structure.  I have also spoken to Jonathon Wilson who confirms that the dimensions of the proposal were not altered during the assessment of the proposal.

Regards

Gordon Atkinson

Planning Manager

Condition 2

Appeal by UK Docks

1 Comment

In early May a selected few in Harbour View have received a letter with their plans for the site from UK Dock. Make of it what you will but it has appeared 9 months too late and shows what is really planned in a most favourable light. Rumour has it that UK Docks really want to move the 70 ton crane from Sunderland to this Site.

Uncategorised

Letter to CEO South Tyneside Council

Dear Mr Swales,

I am not certain as to what your knowledge is of the ongoing (since September2013) concerns and complaints  from the residents of the area surrounding the River Drive site of UK Docks and visitors to the area. Living in Greens Place I am very aware of the tourist and visitor traffic through the Lawe Top area and the serious concerns they have raised in direct support to that of those who live in the area. I am more than happy to supply you with a timeline and overview and the website address for you to see the depth of upset and seriousness of the situation.
On 3rd April 2014, I along with other representatives handed in a petition of 238 signatures addressed to yourself(it has since been added to bringing the number of signatories to not far short of 300) Democratic services took away those signatories democratic rights by choosing to not give the petition to yourself the addressee but to Mr Mansbridge Head of Development Services instead. The petition was addressed to yourself as we had already been given inaccurate and conflicting information by Mr Cunningham, Mr Atkinson, Mr Bostock, Mr Rutherford and Mr Mansbridge, and were in agreement that we as Council Tax paying residents were being sidelined, fobbed off and lied to by those people whose jobs were paid for by us and whose role it was to listen to and consider our concerns and issues and to represent us fairly.
It is mine and many other residents opinion that from the treatment we have received which has at the least been appalling and highly distressing, we cannot trust STMBC Officers to carry out correct procedure with due respect to the residents and their opinions and rights, and that we have no faith in the Planning procedure.
You will see from the email stream below that, Mr Simmonette who is the designated officer has not replied to the first email, Mr Atkinson has fobbed me off and not answered my questions in the second email and Mr Mansbidge has not answered from nearly a week ago. Their behaviour is not professional or fair handed and is adding to the stress and upset we are facing with this situation, affecting personally my Health and Wellbeing quite significantly.
I would hope that you will treat this matter with urgency and address the matters which I have raised (briefly) in this email. We have previously asked that work be halted while consultation and reviews were carried out, and this has been ignored. We have in writing from Mr Mansbridge that the facts we have been stating since September 2013 are in fact ( after a long and complicated inquiry by STMBC) fact and that the ‘shed’ has not been built to plan, but STMBC are choosing not to enforce any measures on the developers. And now with that ‘shed’ still under construction (since 5th September 2013) we are given a brief period of time to object to further large scale inappropriate development of the site including an extension to the ‘shed’ that is not built to plan. Please halt all work and live planning applications to enable a complete review of the situation including consultations and reviews.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Melanie Todd(Miss)