Hundreds expected at Colchester's biggest planning bid (From Essex County Standard)

Hundreds expected at Colchester's biggest planning bid

7:00am Thursday 24th January 2013 in News By Wendy Brading

THE biggest planning meeting in Colchester’s history is set to be held next month.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the meeting to discuss the merits of the Stour Valley Visitor Centre.

The controversial application was due to be heard in the Moot Hall at Colchester Town Hall which can accommodate 250 people.
But now the venue has been changed as Colchester Council believes it will need more capacity.

For the first time in history, a planning application is due to be heard at Charter Hall in Colchester Leisure World.

Comments(17)

jim_bo says...
7:32am Thu 24 Jan 13

I'll be there, lets hope it's not just lip service to those of us who are against it.

The 3 very expensive taxpayer funded consultations and the councils own Policy Unit said no and yet in his infinate wisdom Vincent Pearce at the planning dept says "well I think we should support it". Bit odd that Vincent!

Of course with official council support it will be doomed to failure.

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Jess Jephcott says...
12:38pm Thu 24 Jan 13

So that will be the whole of Horkesley then, a Nimby Festival for the self-interested. Can I run the burger stall?

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rowhedge-dave says...
12:43pm Thu 24 Jan 13

This all goes to show just how flimsy the planing system is!

Just a 'house of sticks'.

Most say 'no' but Vincent Pearce, against all reasonableness or justification, says 'yes'

How can this be democratic?

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wellnow says...
1:09pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Most, how so? When I first saw the bunting proposal I thought it a good idea, however the movers and shakers did a stanstead airport on us and will undoubtably kill this also.

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TheCaptain says...
3:31pm Thu 24 Jan 13

rowhedge-dave wrote:
This all goes to show just how flimsy the planing system is!

Just a 'house of sticks'.

Most say 'no' but Vincent Pearce, against all reasonableness or justification, says 'yes'

How can this be democratic?

Democracy - The public elect politicians who make decisions on our behalf. Exactly what will happen.

Mr Pearce is a Council officer who will not be making the decision just advising the politicians whether the application is lawful.

I believe the revised application covers all the lawful objections from the last application.

But not in my back yard hey?

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jim_bo says...
6:35pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Captain, Rowhedge is no where near Horkesley. So no backyard.

Where do u live captain?

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Fairminded fella says...
9:16pm Thu 24 Jan 13

Well me and my family live in Gt Horkesley and we are all for it. This is good for local employment and a **** sight better than the existing smashed tomato green houses. This is a privately funded initiative and whether it succeeds or fails it is the Bunting's problem. Unlike the other travesties around Colchester which soak up our taxes so that they can flatter the egoes of councillors who want to pretend they are improving Colchester with more projects which are just nails in the coffin of a once thriving town. Time to get some perspective, let the Buntings get on with their own thing and if people are passionate about what's best for the area, focus on what's bringing money in rather than taking more and pi$$ing it up the wall in the name of art and other crack pot schemes which are driving businesses away

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Boris says...
1:10am Fri 25 Jan 13

Fairminded fella wrote:
Well me and my family live in Gt Horkesley and we are all for it. This is good for local employment and a **** sight better than the existing smashed tomato green houses. This is a privately funded initiative and whether it succeeds or fails it is the Bunting's problem. Unlike the other travesties around Colchester which soak up our taxes so that they can flatter the egoes of councillors who want to pretend they are improving Colchester with more projects which are just nails in the coffin of a once thriving town. Time to get some perspective, let the Buntings get on with their own thing and if people are passionate about what's best for the area, focus on what's bringing money in rather than taking more and pi$$ing it up the wall in the name of art and other crack pot schemes which are driving businesses away

FMF, if you live in Great Horkesley you will know that the Buntings may have lots of land, but they have very little cash, so they are not going to be funding this deceptive scheme. So who will be putting up the money? Some have speculated that it could be Chinese investors. I have heard that it could be a big supermarket chain - the one that festoons Colchester already. And of course the whole objective is not to show off a handful of heavy horses, still less to display a handful of non-existent Constable paintings, but to set up an "attraction" which will fail, and which can then, with backing from Mr Pearce or his successors, be turned by degrees into our very own Lakeside or Bluewater. That is why sensible people such as jimbo and rowhedge dave are against it.
It looks as if Jess, alias Sdapeze, has an interest in the Buntings' scheme, but he surely hasn't got enough money, so what is his motive for supporting it? Must be just to wind the rest of us up. He loves to do that, which is why it is fun to debate with him, provided you don't take him too seriously.
.
But this scheme is not a joking matter, it is something we need to take seriously, so we have to oppose it until it is again rejected.

[quote][p][bold]Fairminded fella[/bold] wrote: Well me and my family live in Gt Horkesley and we are all for it. This is good for local employment and a **** sight better than the existing smashed tomato green houses. This is a privately funded initiative and whether it succeeds or fails it is the Bunting's problem. Unlike the other travesties around Colchester which soak up our taxes so that they can flatter the egoes of councillors who want to pretend they are improving Colchester with more projects which are just nails in the coffin of a once thriving town. Time to get some perspective, let the Buntings get on with their own thing and if people are passionate about what's best for the area, focus on what's bringing money in rather than taking more and pi$$ing it up the wall in the name of art and other crack pot schemes which are driving businesses away[/p][/quote]FMF, if you live in Great Horkesley you will know that the Buntings may have lots of land, but they have very little cash, so they are not going to be funding this deceptive scheme. So who will be putting up the money? Some have speculated that it could be Chinese investors. I have heard that it could be a big supermarket chain - the one that festoons Colchester already. And of course the whole objective is not to show off a handful of heavy horses, still less to display a handful of non-existent Constable paintings, but to set up an "attraction" which will fail, and which can then, with backing from Mr Pearce or his successors, be turned by degrees into our very own Lakeside or Bluewater. That is why sensible people such as jimbo and rowhedge dave are against it. It looks as if Jess, alias Sdapeze, has an interest in the Buntings' scheme, but he surely hasn't got enough money, so what is his motive for supporting it? Must be just to wind the rest of us up. He loves to do that, which is why it is fun to debate with him, provided you don't take him too seriously. . But this scheme is not a joking matter, it is something we need to take seriously, so we have to oppose it until it is again rejected. Boris

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wellnow says...
8:42am Fri 25 Jan 13

Bor is always so red flag mix it a bit, you also seem to know a lot about peoples finances.maybe questions should be asked?

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TheCaptain says...
9:53am Fri 25 Jan 13

jim_bo wrote:
Captain, Rowhedge is no where near Horkesley. So no backyard.

Where do u live captain?

South Colchester

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jim_bo says...
8:38pm Fri 25 Jan 13

NIYBY @ Captain!

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Simon Taylor says...
12:38am Sat 26 Jan 13

Whichever way the planning committee goes on the night, it's almost certain that there will be an appeal, a calling in, or a judicial review.

I feel honoured that parts of my comment have been redacted by the planning service, but it's only my phone number and signature...

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Boris says...
11:21pm Sat 26 Jan 13

Simon Taylor wrote:
Whichever way the planning committee goes on the night, it's almost certain that there will be an appeal, a calling in, or a judicial review.

I feel honoured that parts of my comment have been redacted by the planning service, but it's only my phone number and signature...

If your letter had been all handwritten they would not have redacted your signature. But you should surely be happy that your signature is not reproduced for the possible use of an identity thief. Likewise, if you had written from your home, you perhaps would have preferred your phone number to be redacted out, to frustrate junk callers.

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Boris says...
4:38pm Sun 27 Jan 13

wellnow wrote:
Bor is always so red flag mix it a bit, you also seem to know a lot about peoples finances.maybe questions should be asked?

I only quote from people in the Horkesley area who appear to know a lot about the Buntings. Also, one or two people have posted on this site saying the Buntings are practically skint, apart from their immense land holdings of course. I have no inside knowledge but, in general, there is no smoke without fire.

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ExPatMiddlesexer says...
10:44pm Sun 27 Jan 13

I'm sorry but I still don't understand how come they want to build a centre where people pay to walk around Constable Country when if you Go to Dedham or East Bergholt (and granted you have to pay to park if you're not a member of the National Trust) you can walk around it for free? Am I missing something here?

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Jess Jephcott says...
11:38am Mon 28 Jan 13

As if my opinion is of any relevance to this, Boris has commented on my interest in the scheme. I do support it, as I would any quality scheme that would make Colchester a more attractive place for visitors. Sadly the local anti-scheme campaigners have reduced themselves to personal attacks againts the Bunting family as they don't seem to have much else. I only know the family on a nodding acquaintance, having had various dealings with them with charitable events that they have supported. I have a particular love of heavy horses and I admit that my support for the scheme is greater because it will bring these splendid animals into the public arena as part of the whole heritage experience that is being planned. But, of course, one has to answer the question as to whether Colchester is ready for such a scheme. Does it want visitors and the jobs and wealth creation it brings? Our council seems to be bent on deterring visitors with its ideas about car parking charges, park and ride, traffic congestion measures, closing the castle and other museums, etc. I hope the scheme succeeds and that the people of Horkesley come to love it.

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TheCaptain says...
10:01am Tue 29 Jan 13

jim_bo wrote:
NIYBY @ Captain!

No really I'd be happy to have it near me.

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Hundreds expected at Colchester's biggest planning bid (From Essex County Standard)

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