But hold on just a minute though. Isn’t the British Property Federation a well-heeled lobbying body that includes
some of the biggest companies in the property industry – property developers and owners … investment banks
Its ‘lobbying successes’ include injecting ‘realism’ into the Government’s carbon reduction policies in the interests of landlords. It also strongly supports the Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework. Described by many as creating a developers’ paradise, in the BPF’s eyes this merely ‘streamlines’ the planning system.
Their members include Drivers Jonas Deloitte, Indigo Planning, Savills, and Turley Associates, who all urged Cornwall Council to build 57,000 or even more houses in last year’s round of consultations on its Core Strategy. Interestingly, GVA Grimley, Cornwall Council’s favourite consultants, again pop up as members of the BPF as does its favourite supermarket Sainsburys.
But Robertson shows not a jot of shame at being associated with this bunch. On the contrary, Cornwall Council was
one of just six councils to join this group which demonstrates our growing reputation on the national stage
For that delusion of grandeur we should perhaps read growing reputation as an easy touch for property developers. Further down the message comes the ominous news that
Cornwall has been selected as a place-based study area. This means we will be working with senior British Property Federation representatives, developers and local private sector partners to carry out a detailed analysis of potential barriers to growth in Cornwall and identify appropriate solutions
Expect the knock on the door at dawn soon then. ‘Growth’ for Robertson includes the Council’s
ambitious housing programme
which is why the BPF, developers and private sector partners are all slavering at the prospect of more profits from Cornwall’s out-of-control property boom.
Not content with the current helter-skelter journey to a million people in Cornwall by the end of the century Robertson and Cornwall Council’s Cabinet brazenly intend to speed it up. But are all the other councillors really so keen on handing Cornwall over to the property developers in this manner? Have they ever been asked?
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The deafening silence on this issue from councillors would seem to provide its own answer.
ReplyDeleteGreat item. It raises real concerns about the powerful lobby of aggressive big business who have oodles of money to throw at lobbying of councils and at their PR machine. Cornwall should be worried, the business lobby will walk all over the county in their quest for profit before all else. The leader will no doubt be sucked in by 'business lunches', trips and the promise of saving money and meeting targets.
ReplyDeleteTo add insult to injury these 'relationships' are being promoted by the LGA who are happy to use £200,000 of tax payers money to pay for their Chief Exec each year. A quango that should have been axed.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030205/Quango-chiefs-salary-doubles-200-000-setting-bad-example-council-managers-asked-pay-cut.html