Secretary of State writes to Chief Lord Justice Lord Thomas

Secretary of State writes to Chief Lord Justice Lord Thomas
22nd August 2016

The Charity received a wonderful letter in the post today stating that our MP Amber Rudd, The Secretary of State has written to Lord Thomas the Chief Lord Justice in regard to  the missing underpinning documents from the Hastings Development Plan. These should have been legally available after the Consultation for the Main Modifications. It is known that Rothers’ Examination Report is correct and was written by the Planning Inspector. Hastings Borough Council document was written by someone in the Council at the time. The Charity has been concerned that the lack of the underpinning Examination Report makes the Development Plan Unsound. This is concerning as the Borough makes Green Space areas which the Council state are protected. It also questions why this process failed and why the Inspector does not seem to have supplied Hastings with an Examination Report when it has supplied one for Rother District Council.

The Charity have been working for over two and a half years to get a Legal Decision from the Freedom of Information Act  2000, The Information Commissioner , Three First Tier Tribunal Service  GRP & GRS Tribunal , The Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman and now the Chief Lord Justice. A spiral bound report has been prepared by the Hastings Badger Protection Society Directors and Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust to ensure this matter is properly dealt with. The Charity has been fighting to save Speckled Wood since 2012. The Charity was set up when other groups would not provide an electronic consultation for the public. Over 7000 Reponses were sent in to the Council from the Charity in an attempt to Save Speckled Wood.  The Charity used skips to remove dangerous rusting metal work and rubbish from the site over two years in 2013 in an attempt to clean the area up for the children who play there.

More information about the Charity is here:
http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/friends-of-speckled-wood-management-trust

Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust & HBPS raise concerns with Lord Atkin and the Home Secretary

Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust & HBPS raise concerns with Lord Atkin and the Home 
Secretary13 August 2016

The meeting was very successful and a lot of information was shared with Lord Atkin and the Home Secretary. The Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP agreed that she would help and an action plan has been established. The Charity is hoping to hear back from this in a few weeks to see what their next course of action is going to be. The matter is hopeing to Save Speckled Wood as the Charity has been fighting to Save this area for the Wildlife and Children that use this area  since 2012.

Judicial Appointments & Conduct Ombudsman will investigate

Judicial Appointments & Conduct Ombudsman will investigate.
4th August 2016
The Judicial Appointments & Conduct Ombudsman confirmed by telephone  today that it will investigate the Chamber President in regard to the decision that his office was investigating with the missing Planning Inspectors Report which was requested from the Council two and a half years ago and has still not been forthcoming .

The matter reached the First Tier Tribunal GRC & GRP Tribunal in January this year after a complaint was made to the ICO in regard to the Council holding or not holding this document from the Planning Inspectorate.  A twenty page report was sent to JACO the Communities and Local Government  Comittiee. and Ms Amber Rudd MP

"This was excellant news the chairman states as it was very kind of JACO to step in and help."

Mr Donald Wise of Hastings Badger Protection Society stated " I am totally ashamed that the Council has not produced what everyone was expecting to see."