South Tyneside Independents» Biddick & All Saints » What next for Biddick Hall

What next for Biddick Hall – the saga continues!

Monday’s (25th January) site visit to Brydan Court – in connection planning application submitted by Four Seasons to convert Brydan Court into 41 assisted living units for people with a history of drug and alcohol problems – by the Labour dominated planning committee seems to have been a farce. The following is an account of what took place:

Labour councillor Olive Punchion and Ken Diver (who was criticised by some for his alleged bias at a public meeting he chaired in December) arrived on site before the planning committee. In an attempt to gain maximum publicity for her election campaign in May, Cllr Punchion implemented what appeared to be a pre-conceived plan. She handed out a number of banners to a small group of ‘residents’ who are known to have ties to the Labour Party. As usual the Shields Gazette had been tipped off and was on hand to report on Cllr Punchion’s antics.

Unfortunately for Cllr Punchion, the chair of the Biddick Hall Resident’s Association Karen Nicholson was on hand to give the Shields Gazette the view of local residents and of someone who actually lives on the estate, unlike Cllr Punchion. When the planning committee arrived Cllr Punchion was invited on to the bus (yes the committee would not get off it) to ‘explain’ the situation. Unfortunately she did nothing more than nod her head and failed to explain why the application should be rejected. Surely this was her chance to point out how inappropriate the proposals were given their proximity of the site to a School, Off Licence, Sheltered Accommodation, Sure Start Centre and residents of Biddick Hall.

Does Cllr Punchion knows something the rest of us don’t or is she just clueless? Let’s face it the original application was supposed to have gone through on the nod without being considered by the full planning committee – that is until someone realised the publicity value of the application especially in the run up to May’s local elections.

Despite Cllr Punchion’s ‘staged’ protest it is fairly obvious that the Labour dominated committee is now likely to reject the application, this would allow Cllr Punchion and her colleagues to claim the credit. Sadly the harsh reality is that after the election the applicants will appeal and it’s likely the committee’s decision will be overturned. It would appear that Monday’s visit was never about the residents of Biddick Hall and was more about Cllr Punchion getting her picture in the paper – the story that appeared in the Shields Gazette the next day made sure that Olive, and Olive alone, was seen as the organiser of the ‘protest’ outside of Brydan Court. The council have confirmed that they have received numerous objections to the application and that a number of objectors have asked to present their case in person when the committee meets, unfortunately the Labour chairman of the committee has other ideas and will not let them speak.

But not surprisingly he has agreed to let his Labour colleague Cllr Punchion speak to the committee. Now that will be a rare sight indeed – Cllr Punchion on her feet and speaking for the people of Biddick Hall – she normally tends to do nothing more than nod off in the council chamber!