Land row flares up again

05 August 2007

THE long-running dispute over the North Denes area of Lowestoft is already heading for a showdown at a public inquiry but this week it sparked a fresh political row at Waveney District Council.

As reported earlier in The Journal the dispute centres on the council's plan to lease part of the North Denes site to a private operator to run as a caravan park.

Members of Protect Our North Denes Association (PONDA) supported by wealthy businessman Mervyn Lambert are challenging the council's right to allow what they see as public land to be disposed of in this fashion and a public inquiry is likely to be held later this year.

Leader of Waveney District Council Mark Bee has criticised opponents of the council's scheme insisting their claims were “spurious” and behind the huge legal fees being incurred by the authority.

This has led to Mr Bee coming under attack from Sally Spore, leader of the Labour opposition group on the council.

“If the (Journal) articles are correct in asserting that the leader of the council see the public's claims as 'spurious' then I am concerned that it is the leader who is now bringing this council into disrepute. The public's claims are based on their own professional legal advice and yet the leader chooses to press ahead with his plans for the North Denes and is suggesting in his use of the word 'spurious' that these people are not genuine,” she said.

Mrs Spore said the council does not seem to have any concerns for continuing to expend council tax payers money in its quest to “salvage the reputations” of senior elected members and officials.

“Clearly in this case the public have secured funds to continue to exert their democratic rights. Whether that will change the deep rooted culture of a council who chooses not to listen unless the public can fund themselves, only time will tell. The issue of the North Denes is simply an example of an underlying culture which in my view is not what democracy should be about,” she said.

Ms Spore also claimed the council had “chosen to withhold” information from her and other elected members in respect of the legal advice they had received on the issue.

Mr Bee was adamant that the council had taken a democratic decision on the disposal of land.

“I find it quite remarkable that councillor Spore is concerned about a perceived affront to democracy given that a clear decision was taken by a democratically elected council regarding the future of North Denes. This council spent an enormous amount of time and money listening to a wide range of opinions before reaching what it believes to be the correct decision, in the best interests of all,” he said.

“It is absolutely in no one's best interests for this issue to drag on interminably and I don't believe I am alone in thinking that it is time to draw a line in the sand here and move on,” said Mr Bee.

He was supported by Liberal Democrat leader on the council David Young.

“I am very saddened that this row is still going on as a decision was taken at a full meeting of the council. The people of Waveney are losing out on lost revenue and having to bear the cost of legal fees,” he said.