300 people see Melton Borough Council vote for 1,000 new homes North of Melton Mowbray

By melton_mark | Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 23:48

Around 300 members of the public packed into Melton Borough Council on Wednesday evening, to see councillors vote 16 to 8 in favour of adopting the Core Strategy - including proposals to build a Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) of around 1,000 new homes and supporting facilities to the North of Melton Mowbray. But the public - who were repeatedly warned to be quiet - were left angry and confused by voting at the end.

Melton Borough Council has voted to approve the Core Strategy
Around 300 people packed the Melton Borough Council chamber
John Beech of Melton North Action Group (MNAG) after the meeting

It was literally standing room only for the public, with some people listening in adjoining corridors, and even aisles filled in with seats. However a meeting that enjoyed a good level of debate ended in confusion for the public - and even one councillor - with uncertainty over what they were actually voting for.

For councillors used to only a handful of public attending their meetings, the pressure of around 300 people packing the room, seemed to get to a number of them - during a meeting which lasted over 2 ½ hours.

After four councillors had left the room at the beginning due to conflicts of interest, David Pendle from Melton Borough Council gave a presentation on the Core Strategy.

Labour leader Matthew O'Callaghan then began the debate, by proposing a motion that the Council delay the decision on the Core Strategy until October, to allow further work to be done to address a number of concerns. Pam Posnett, John Illingworth and Simon Lumley - Conservative councillors representing wards in Melton North - all spoke to confirm they would vote against the Core Strategy. Pam Posnett said she had received:

"Not one email, letter, or telephone call to support the SUE."

To cries of "Shame on you" from the public, John Wyatt - councillor for the Sysonby Ward in Melton North - said he was supporting the Core Strategy, as did Valerie Manderson also of Sysonby Ward. Other councillors spoke in support of the Core Strategy and said they didn't believe there should be any delay.

The debate contained a number of memorable quotes. Councillors repeatedly said they'd received hundreds of emails lobbying them, although it clearly didn't influence them all. Councillor Norman Slater said:

"I've seen the emails - I've not replied to them."

And Councillor Gerald Botterill, when talking about the lack of a bypass for Melton Mowbray, gave the most surprising assurance of the evening when he said:

"We have money in the kitty (presumably the Sainsbury's money) - we could fund it ourselves."

After the closing speech by Matthew O'Callaghan, it was time for the vote. The expectation amongst the public was that there would be a vote on Matthew O'Callaghan's motion to delay the decision - and if that wasn't passed, there would be the original vote on the Core Strategy. However during the course of the debate, what sounded like a small amendment had also been proposed.

To the confusion of the public and some councillors - to whom what they were voting for had to be explained twice - they were first asked to vote on "the amendment". This was passed by 17 votes to 7 - but then Councillor Simon Lumley who voted in favour, said he hadn't realised what he'd been voting for, and asked that his vote be changed - which it couldn't.

Councillors were then asked to vote again on "the amendment", which now became the "Substantive Motion" and this time with Simon Lumley voting against - the final figures were 16 in favour and 8 against. You can read how each councillor voted here.

And with that, to the surprise of most of the public, the Extraordinary meeting was over. The Core Strategy - including proposals to build a Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) of around 1,000 new homes and supporting facilities to the North of Melton Mowbray - has now been approved by Melton Borough Councillors.

The Core Strategy will now undergo a period of public consultation before the plans are submitted to the Secretary of State - and then a public examination before a Government planning inspector. However following the meeting, members of Melton North Action Group (MNAG) were saying "the fight starts now".

Much more reaction to follow in the coming days...

Were you at the meeting? What did you think? Let us know by adding your comments in the box below. (You'll need to Join / Login first - but this can be done with your Facebook or Twitter ID).

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Comments

Excellent summary from Ali. Mind you John Wyatt's rant about voters complaints and his remarks about police were very funny - albeit unintentionally so!

By Meltonpotter at 16:00 on 16/02/12
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Can I just say what a debacle last night was? For a young member of the community to witness such a shambles is shocking. I have always been cynical about politics and this has not changed my mind in anyway. Perhaps I was naïve in thinking that Melton ward councillors vote for what their constituents want? This is quite evident from Ed Hutchinson who said he against creeping urbanisation but amazingly voted for it. If you say you are against something at least have the decency to stand by that.

I do not live in Melton Mowbray but in a Village to the South but even I can see the SUE will have a huge impact on an already congested part of Melton let alone the impact of the environment and the country park. What I do not understand is why do all the houses have to go in the same area? There is plenty of unused land around Melton (Kind Edward site for one) and perhaps if the houses were spread out then this would not have as much of an impact. Perhaps this is too simplistic. Or would it just cost too much and too much man power hours wasted to 'research' it again. All I know that using statistics from 2008 is ludicrous - 4 years out of date. There was a National Census last year, what did those statistics show?

There was no attempt by the Lady Mayoress to address or pull in line Janet Simpson when she decided to label the public there as liars! That was out of order and should have been addressed. Councillors should not be allowed to get away with this. If you are there to chair a meeting then please do chair it in a respective manner to those who have given up their spare time to attend something that will impact their neighbourhoods.

It is a shame the result went the way it did but I do have more respect for those councillors who stood by members of their ward eexcluding of course those who simply 'fell into line' - John Wyatt - Sysonby Ward and Valerie Manderson - Sysonby Ward.

My concluding thoughts are simple the meeting was a shambles and MNAG have a good fight ahead on their hands and I wish them all the very best to succeed. Perhaps it is about time that people were listened to and other options are explored. Good luck to you all!

By DGlancy1608 at 10:39 on 16/02/12
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Another eventful evening for Melton residents witnessing the debacle of DEMOCRACY in our town.

I am at a loss to understand why Matthew O'Callaghan's motion to delay the vote was not voted on, this is not democracy irrespective of what the Mayor shouts down the microphone.

Simpson was scathing in her patronising remarks to people who had campaigned against the SUE, she is obviously protecting her own back yard and village ward.

We now have the money for the bypass, well there's good news but if the Council spend the money from Sainsbury's sale on the bypass where is the money coming from to repay the debt on their new Council offices?

Well done to supporters of the NO campaign, you were very good apart from the mix up with the vote, the spectators were totally confused so it is understanding why you were. Perhaps confusion is used as a tactic to achieve the desirable vote!

My scoring for the evening -

Village NIMBYS - 0/10
Ostritch Brigade - 0/10
Astute to Impact of SUE - 10/10

Let the battle commence..............

By margaretglan at 09:41 on 16/02/12
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What about the Independent, Mr Hutchison, he voted for it. Only in December he stated he was against creeping urbanisation when he wanted my mum's vote in his election bid, now we are ripping up the Countryside and our Countrypark! Typical say one thing and do another.

By Jtilley1975 at 07:22 on 16/02/12
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The people of Melton were given a flavour of local democracy warts and all tonight. It was just a shame they had to face so many warts.
The final result of the meeting would not have come as a surprise to the people of this borough who have lived in the area for a number of years. The desire of the block village vote was always going to win out with it's wants for much needed swings and slides over the potential impact any development could have on the towns folk of Melton.

It was just a shame to observe it happening, with such disdain from the Tory councillors for people from the town even daring to object to their plan. Councillor Janet Simpson of Gadsby went as far as to imply that she would listen to the voices of the people, just not the type of people who sent emails against the proposal, as she patronised those in attendance at length about how they didn't understand the proposals being voted upon.
It was sadly the Tory group she should have been addressing, as it became quite clear that a number of them had not understood the proposals on the table if they had even bothered to read the bulky document before them.

The show piece of the night, out stripping the scathing attack on the proposals from Matthew O'Callaghan, or the pious remarks from Councillors Chandler, Cumbers and Simpson has to go to the lady Mayoress.
In a performance that could have been lifted straight from the latest Armando Iannucci series of The Thick of It.

As the meeting spiralled into ever deepening chaos, Councillor Alison Freer shrieked into her microphone at the 300 strong crowd;
"I will have you removed if you make another noise; THIS IS A DEMOCRACY!!"
It was starting to get beyond a joke; it was then that the voting started. Or did it... at the first attempt a number (5 or 6) from all parties had to ask what it was they were being asked to vote on.The mayoress then decreed that they would vote on 2 proposals, only to change her mind after the first vote, at the protests of poor Councillor Simon Lumley, having clearly heard her earlier proclamation only to be cut down, by laughter from his own party colleagues.

What more can be said. The fight moves on and Melton still needs to address the elephant in the room.
We don't have a bypass and won't be getting one any time soon.

Scores on the doors;
Mayoress: 0/10 out of her depth, she couldn't steer a train on a track that one.
Tory group: 5/10 what do you expect from the so long as its not in my village, I don't care brigade
Labour Group: 7/10 More voices needed
Sysonby Ward Councillors: 0/10 "shame on you!"
Newport Ward Councillors: 9/10
Matthew O'Callaghan: 10/10 star of the night. Impassioned, articulate and ran rings around all others who spoke on the night.

By ali567149 at 01:35 on 16/02/12
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