Regular readers will, however, have already read my previous post, "Hurrah - A Sale on the Open Market (To Hussain's Son)! but for new readers a short introduction. On 22/11/11 senior Labour "councillors" and "cabinet" members HUSSAIN, Eling, Hackett and Ian Jones resolved to flog off a nice clear building plot on the corner of Lodge Street and Stone Street, Oldbury. As above, Sharma and Bubalo accepted a price of just £145,000 and sold the plot on behalf of Sandwell Labour to, er, Councillor Hussain's son, Azeem Hafeez. (Hafeez may or may not have actually also been an employee of Sandwell at this stage - he has "worked" for them in the past).
Even before the transfer was finalised on 2nd January, 2014 a planning application went in to Labour Sandwell on 30th December, 2013. Greed was of the essence. Our old friend Anthony "Barrie" Hope of Bog-gate infamy was Hafeez's agent in the planning application. As with the bogs, Hope was able to make a statutory declaration on 30/12/13 that Hafeez had been the only owner of the property for 21 days before the application whereas the conveyancing transfer wasn't actually made until two days later.....
The application DC/13/56684 was for FOURTEEN three/four bedroom houses (even though the sleazy "socialists" had indicated that the site should be considered for bungalows for the aged) and, surprise, surprise sailed through Labour's planning committee with Nick Bubalo signing the permission on 29th July, 2014.
On your behalf I braved the elements this morning and noted that building has actually started. Despite the planning permission a five-bedroom house is also offered.
Now the £145,000 agreed by Sharma and Bubalo for a clear site amounted to a pathetic £10,357 per plot. Of course Hafeez has had to struggle ( ha, ha) with Sandwell Labour to get planning permission. He has to pay for the houses to be built and market them. Below is the Zoopla link from Haart Estate agents for the site which has been laughably named as "Oldbury Green" and if you choose to look there are various "incentives" being offered to would-be purchasers. Having said that, these are the proposed sale prices:
5 x 3 bed semis @ £185,000 each = £925,000
5 x 4 bed semis @ £200,000 each = £1,000,000
3 x 4 bed detached @ £210,000 each = £630,000
1 x 5 bed detached @ £225,000 = £225,000
AND SO THE TOTAL IS A COOL £2,780,000!
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/property/west-midlands/oldbury/
The planning application was stated to me a "major" one. Most councils seek what used to be called a s.106 payment for such developments which is now known as a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This means that the property developer has to pay a "fee" towards improving local infrastructure when obtainning planning permission. Again, regular readers will know that this money has been treated as a "piggy bank" by Sandwell Labour to pay for pet projects - hence, for example, the laughable "leader" Cooper diverting £30,000 of public money to Jim Cadman's private statue "project". Happily, at the material time, Sandwell Labour paid large sums to consultants URS and Aspinall Verdi and then decided, led in this instance by Cllr Ian Jones, that the crafty comrades wouldn't apply the CIL to most residential developments in Sandwell! According to their planning website, therefore, Councillor Hussain's son has not only had the land for a song but has also paid, er, sod all by way of CIL.
There are only two conclusions that can be legitimately drawn here from the information publicly available. Either:
1. There has been significant fraud here; or
2. There has been gross negligence on behalf of Council Officers in respect of the sale price.
Once again there is a pressing case for West Midlands Police to start investigations.......
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
e thesandwellskidder@gmail.com t @bcrover (Vernon Grant)
Confidential phone no: 07599 983737
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