1) Can you ask a question at cabinet by 5pm on 12th July 2) Photoshoot outside Town Hall at 6:30pm on Tuesday 13th July

1) Can you ask a question at cabinet  by 5pm on 12th July?

Many thanks to everyone who attended the meeting in the park yesterday. Redbridge cabinet meets this Tuesday at 7:15 this is an opportunity to question the Cllr Jas Athwal, the Leader of the Council about Tescos.

Two questions come to mind: 

1) Will the Council publish the Tesco Goodmayes referral letter from the Council to the Mayor and send it to objectors on the same day it is sent the Mayor? 

This is important as the 106 agreement, the amount of money and benefits paid by Tescos to the Council in mitigation to the damage done to our community by the Towers was not finalised at the 27th May planning meeting. The updated 106 agreement will be attached to the referral letter. At Friday 9th July the referral letter had not been sent.

If the referral letter is kept secret it limits the quality of our representations to the Mayor. This cannot be right and I hope Cllr Athwal would agree to publish the referral letter when asked.

2) How much money has Tescos' representatives paid the Council in pre-application advice?

Bewildering. councils are allowed to take large fees from developers in order to get pre-application advice. This is a conflict of interest, the officers are meant to negotiate the best deal from Tescos for the 106 agreement. How can they do this when part of the their wages comes from Tescos? Lawyers are not meant to take fees from both both parties in a court case, I can't see how officers should be any different. Is this goes to court, it would be interesting to see what a judge what say about such an arrangement. This is an example of what Redbridge means when it says it is open for business. I have put in freedom of information requests about this, but so far have been rebuffed. 

How to lodge a question

First read the agenda at http://moderngov.redbridge.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=267&MId=8337

The Council introduced restrictions on public speaking recently so we cannot ask a question directly about Tescos. The most relevant agenda item is (12) the affordable housing update. Questions should be sent to helena.tredgold@redbridge.gov.uk

I have lodged this question: (I have been banned from asking questions in person, instead someone else reads my questions out!)

1) Leader, In light of report of reports of a falling London population does this Council need to review its targets for affordable housing? 

My supplementary will be

Leader, thank you for answer, Will you agree to suspend standing orders and take this urgent question:

"Will the Council publish the Tesco Goodmayes referral letter from the Council to the Mayor and send it to objectors on the same day it is sent the Mayor?"

2) Photoshoot outside Town Hall at 6:30pm on Tuesday 13th July?

Do let me know if you can attend to andy.walker@talk21.com , we need six to make it worthwhile.

I have done a short video promotional video on this on Facebook which you might like to like or share:

https://www.facebook.com/1466018193/videos/517145489709381/

 

https://www.facebook.com/1466018193/videos/517145489709381/