In The Public Domain?: Urgent! SMBC Attack Green Belt!

Until yesterday I had no idea of any connection between Labour Sandwell Council and Schweizer Milchschokolade mit Honig und Mandel Torrone - that's Toblerone to you and me!

I happened to be in The Oldbury Kremlin yesterday afternoon doing some research when I received a phone call from a concerned resident asking me to investigate plans to build two huge triangular (hence "Toblerone" - that IS what they are known as) signs next to the M5 at Ray Hall Lane, Great Barr in Charlemont Ward. I immediately reviewed the two planning files.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR OBJECTIONS IS ONLY DAYS AWAY AS THE COMRADES ARE RUSHING THIS THROUGH. YOU MUST OBJECT BY 17TH NOVEMBER!

Let's just step back a bit. The Labour dictatorship are desperate to raise some cash to spend more on sport. In the normal course of events you might expect that if an advertising hoarding/sign company wanted to build two huge illuminated toblerone displays next to a motorway they might buy or rent some land and apply for planning permission. Of course, the sleazy "socialists" in Sandwell have a different way of doing things under the Cooper regime and often arrange one-party commercial details behind closed doors where, mysteriously, a favoured party is given a contract without tender and all others are "locked-out" (eg. Interserve with The Public, Cadman and the Three Degrees statue, the bent ice rink deal, sundry land sales etc etc etc...)

But things are stranger still here. On the face of it, from the planning documents, this project has been instigated by the cunning comrades themselves. Our old friend of this blog, the head of planning Nick Bubalo, has made the two applications on behalf of Sandwell Council itself proposing permission for 10 years.

OK you might say - "Sadwell" is a hideous sh*t-hole and the second most miserable place to live within the whole UK. Most people only "visit" the Borough by speeding through it on the motorways that cross the area. If the Council can raise a few quid to waste on yet more sport, so what?

Well, the first thing to note is that of all the miles of motorway in the benighted Borough the Dictatorship has chosen two sites WITHIN THE GREEN BELT! The crafty comrades are already trying to build on open spaces all over (usually deliberately allowing them to become derelict dumping grounds and then saying they should be built on as they have become, er, derelict dumping grounds!)

If ever there was an area that needed its "green lungs" surely it is Sandwell?

The second thing to note is that there is no mention anywhere of the business case. Are we to imagine that this is a purely speculative project by Cooper and his cronies? Have they just decided it would be nice to build in the green belt and then they will offer the two sites out to tender? I doubt it. So far, I can find no reference to the business case for these hideous things on the SMBC website and the suspicion must be (given recent dodgy conduct) that the Dictatorship have already done a "deal" with a favoured "friend".

Whilst actually at The Kremlin yesterday, I emailed Bubalo as follows:

"Just sitting downstairs in Krem going through files for M5 green belt signs.

Can't see any mention of contractor/advertiser? Is this deliberate?

Skidder readers will want to know who will benefit from these monstrosities?

Thanks,"

A short time later, I also emailed the three Labour councillors for Charlemont Ward - Elizabeth Giles, Sue Phillips and Liam Preece:

"As Charlemont Councillors would you care to comment on Nick Bubalo's application for two huge "toblerone" signs to be erected on green belt land?

I have read the planning files and there is no indication therefrom as to who will benefit commercially from these monstrosities. You will obviously know the full facts as the Ward Councillors and so please also share this information with Skidder readers. A 10 year deal is apparently planned.

Many thanks,"

I have not had a response so far from any of the four recipients to be able to share with you. I will put up an addendum if any of these individuals wishes to share with the public what is going on. Presumably the three Councillors agreed to this anyway in "Labour Group" where all decisions are made away from prying eyes?

The current recommendation is for the charade of a site visit. Will the planning committee actually turn down their own Council's application supported by the leadership [sic]? Remember the Statue when Bubalo used delegated powers to decide HIS OWN planning application?

I am told that The Kremlin has very efficient shredding machines and so please make sure you keep a copy of any objection you make (it really must be in writing).

There are two separate applications and so it is essential that you quote BOTH references on your objections (you can also use these references to see the applications on the Sandwell Council website):

DC/15/6211A and DC/15/6212A

Given time constraints you might want to hand-deliver your objection to your local Council office or to The Kremlin itself (mark your copy with the date and time of delivery) or email to:

planning@sandwell.gov.uk

Addendum - I am delighted to say that Cllr Liam Preece has now responded and it seems they are none the wiser on the commercial details of this project and that it has seemingly not been dealt with in Labour Group but imposed from the top. Here is the best copy I can do of a letter from the three councillors to local residents: