Lewes DC in democracy shocker

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

I see from today's Telegraph that members of Lewes DC have unanimously rejected the recommendation of their own officers, who said that the Environment Agency, English Nature, and the National Trust should be allowed to flood farmland in the Cuckmere Valley in order to create a saltmarsh.

So why have Lewes constantly object to an elected politician overturning the advice of an appointed official on Falmer?

I really hope their decision gets called in....

 

[Lord Bracknell]

There's an element of consistency about LDC.

They like to reject proposals that are OUTSIDE THEIR AREA.

The Cuckmere Valley is in Wealden District.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

If I was the head of the environment agency, Baroness Young, I'd go to the High Court for a judicial review of the Lewes decision, just for a laugh.

(Wealden council's planning committee has also rejected the plans)

 

[sully]

If it's not in their area, why were they required to make any sort of decision on the issue?

 

[The Large One]

So if it's outside Lewes' jurisdiction, what control will they have on this? Surely the answer should be... NONE.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

That's far too logical a conclusion, TLO. This is LDC we are talking about. The Council that appears to think that boundaries exist for the sole purpose of being crossed as and when they want to f*** up someone else's planning decisions.

 

[The Large One]

My point is, how much sway do they have on this, bearing in mind they have no control? Is their opinion worth anything to the decision-makers?

 

[The Oldman]

There's an element of consistency about LDC.

They like to reject proposals that are OUTSIDE THEIR AREA.

The Cuckmere Valley is in Wealden District.

Hate to disagree with my learned friend but I think the western side of the valley from the Golden Galleon down to the river mouth does come under Lewes. I stand to be corrected of course.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

My point is, how much sway do they have on this, bearing in mind they have no control? Is their opinion worth anything to the decision-makers?

This I don't know but it may be that there is some sort of joint cuckmere valley board that they have some sort of representation on and this could give them some remit to pipe up. lord b will know better than me about such municipal matters though.

 

[The Large One]

Hate to disagree with my learned friend but I think the western side of the valley from the Golden Galleon down to the river mouth does come under Lewes. I stand to be corrected of course.

According to this, you may have a point.

http://www.boundarycommittee.org.uk/files/dms/lewes-map-large_5384-4953__E__.pdf

Careful, it's about 3.8MB.

Of course, it depends on where exactly the farmland in question is.

 

[Heffle Gull]

According to that the boundary follows the old course of the river, the farmland in questions is on both sides of that boundary.

If that map is correct, then unfortunately they are dealing with mattwers within their boundary.

If however that is incorrect, and the boundary follows the "new" course of the river, then thay can piss right off, and leave it to Wealden!

 

[The Large One]

What is the 'new course of the river? I must admit, looking at that map again, it doesn't appear to show the twists, turns and meanders of the Cuckmere south of the A259. Seems to show the river as a fairly straightish one, some of which I am sure is in a man-made course.

 

[The Oldman]

The map does show that the boundary between Wealden and Lewes is the meander in the Cuckmere Valley. The sraight cut is to the west of the meander and is the actual River Cuckmere. It's the bit of water that runs alongside the Golden Galleon car park.

So sorry to say a substantial part of the valley, South and North of the A259 comes within Lewes DC's jurisdiction