The meeting was arranged to discuss Drawing 8296/14 and took place in the afternoon as I had to travel down from Amble –  see email to and from Mr Mansbridge Office. This was an informal meeting attended by:

Head of Development Services: George Mansbridge
Planning Manager:             Gordon Atkinson
Environmental Services:       Ian Rutherford
Objectors:                    Brigid Dawson
                              Michael Dawson

After introductions, drawings were produced by the Planning Manager:

• 8296/1A – shown the height dimension at the road end of 15.5m. I then pointed out to the Planning Manager that the other end (river end) also showed 15.5m;
• 8296/2 – The Planning Manager said although the copy on the desk was not authorised it was an authorised plan. I dismissed it as I was not here to talk about 8296/2*;
• 8296/14 – Not produced – the Planning Manager dismissed it as an ‘Engineers Drawing’.

I should have requested that the meeting be made made formal or closed at this point but Mr Mansbridge went on to say that we could hardly expect him to request UK Docks to pull the shed down and rebuild it a meter narrower**.

I had a grumble about UK Docks monopoly and the influence that the Port of Tyne had on South Tyneside Council.

End of a pointless meeting. No-one took any minutes .

Fallout

• from PM – 8296/1A shows both ends the same.
• from HDS – Had the Council been accused over corruption?

* 8296/2 shows that the river end 15.5m is the authorised eight.
** such a well rehearsed speech – no mention of the height  – 8296/14 shows a height of 15.6m and was approved by Gordon Atkinson.