1) Publish the Secret deal between Redbridge Council 2) Bank Account update

 1) Publish the Secret deal between Redbridge Council

At the May 2021 Redbridge Council planning committee a draft 106 agreement was agreed by Councillors between Redbridge and Tescos representatives. 

106 agreements are the amounts of money and benefits a developer gives to councils which allow developments to proceed which would otherwise be refused. 

Redbridge sent the agreed 106 agreement to the GLA on 1st December 2021 along with other stage 2 referral letters to allow the Mayor to make a decision within 14 days. However, the GLA rejected the 106 agreement.

At time of writing, it is believed Tesco representatives and the Council remain in negotiations about the 106 agreement.

Public confidence in our planning process requires the 106 agreement which was sent  to the GLA on 1st December 2021 to be published. This is because we need to know why the 106 agreement was rejected by the GLA. In the absence of the agreement being published there is bound to be speculation that Redbridge have given too much ground to Tescos. Publishing the 1st December 106 agreement will allow residents to hold Councillors and Tescos to account.

Final legally binding 106 agreements should be presented to councillors on the night they make their decision in public. Anything else leads to suspicions that developers can promise all sorts of things on the night applications are decided  only to negotiate the the terms down after the development.

I am chasing the 1st December 2021106 agreement via freedom of information here https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/redbridge_homebase_tesco_stage_2#incoming-1965430

2) Bank Account Update

I went to Metro bank yesterday and made enquires about opening an account. The deal they offer seems excellent so I suggest we make an application with them should Sadiq Khan pass the Tesco Toxic Towers. After getting a knock back from Unity bank last year we will need to put in all the detailed paperwork along with cheques they require in order to maximise our chances of success. I will write further on this if the Mayor passes the development.