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The border dispute between Colchester Borough Council and our near neighbours over at Tendring District Council seems to have escalated, with an angry email dispatched from the Deputy Leader of TDC to Bob Russell, the LibDem MP for Sunny Colch.

The Conservative Cllr Peter Halliday [mug shot ahoy!] appears angered over the posturing of St Bob and his remarks regarding the proposed 3,000 new homes being built to the east of the Greenstead on the Tendring side of the great divide.

The robust respone from TDC makes no reference to the residents of either Colchester or Tendring, with the good folk of the Greenstead, Elmstead and Wivenhoe seemingly caught up in the political tit for tat crossfire.

Sent on 1st December, the email states:

“Your letter dated 28th November 2011 to T.D.C. Development Plan Manager has been passed to Neil Stock, Leader of the Council and me as his Deputy for view and comment.

We thank you for your comments but we wish to point out that to “plonk” Housing in any location would be irresponsible, reckless and quite frankly not allowed. This is not a practice we would support in any part of our District.”

Um, plonkers, etc…

“We must point out that these proposals are not Tendring District Councils but that of a Developer. At the outset we must ask for people, be it Landowner, Farmers, Developers or Individuals to forward their proposals for what they would propose to do in the form of future development. That forms part of the early stages of consultation and, quite rightly, that information is collated and placed in the Public Domain for further comment.

No mention here of the Local Development Framework, a document that basically allows local authorities to have a safeguard to see off any circling predatory developers. CBC has a rather strong LDF; TDC’s can at best be described as a bit of a sieve.

The email continues, suggesting an explosive tit for tat is about to start, with locals on either side of the border caught up in the fallout:

“It is, perhaps, unsurprising that a Developer has seen fit to propose an urban sprawl development into Tendring given the fact Colchester Council has allowed huge housing development to be (and we use your words) “plonked” on the Boarders of our District. We agree that Tendring’s new plan should propose sustainable and sensible development across our District, something your home Town has failed to do.

When it comes to consultation with Neighbouring Districts you would do well to encourage your Local Council to practice what you preach. Their aggressive overdevelopment up to our boarders [sp] has assisted Developers to see fit to put forward their proposals for our District.”

It’s like the Cold War comes to Colchester. The Sunny Colch tanks are being paraded in the front garden of Tendring District Council. St Bob is wearing his best tin foil hat and has his finger on the trigger to fire another missive under the guise of Parliamentary privilege.

But what price the green and pleasant land east of Greenstead to CBC? The Deputy Leader of TDC believes that our Borough already has its hands in the cash tills of the developers:

“You will be very aware that Colchester is renowned for being aggressive 106 monies collectors and is now suggesting a £20k per House Community Infrastructure Levy so clearly the Green Wedges in Colchester have a price. We do not chase the short term gain of the New Homes Bonus in the same way as any fool can see delivering Public Services to urban developments on our extremities would be a long term and costly commitment and as you correctly point out any economic benefit would be in Colchester Town Centre not our smaller High Streets in Tendring.”

I really wish that we could substitute the one size fits all Section 106 language to that of filthy wonga. Being delivered in a brown envelope stuffed full of grubby fivers would also make the arrangement seem more realistic. There is no denying that 106 funds help with hyperlocal facilities in local communities, but don’t be fooled into thinking that the dosh is anything but a you scratch my back, I’ll scratch your arrangement.

Everything has a price – even some long since forgotten land to the east of the Greenstead. The months ahead look like becoming a re-run of the Price is Right with the three contestants, each representing Colchester Borough Council, Tendring District Council and the developers, all trying to clinch the best deal.

The fourth contestant that is the residents of the Greenstead, Wivenhoe and Elmstead etc were sadly not invited to play the game.

The accusation is that the CBC cabinet have not been playing ball with our border friends, and even standing them up on a blind date arranged to discuss the future of the land:

“Greg Clark [Minister of State for Communities and Local Government] has also said in his draft document that we have a duty to cooperate with our Neighbouring Districts and given your ludicrous rant and Colchester’s Cabinet canceling a meeting with our Cabinet to discuss these very issues amongst other Agenda items, this is clearly starting from a difficult position.”

The parting shot from Cllr Halliday is a classic attempt at a clumsy political manouvre to try and divide not just local communities, but also local parties. The Conservative Leader of TDC is keen to demonstrate that the LibLab coalition at CBC is at odds with the LibDem party over in Tendring.

Tory Boy Drives Wedge Through Centre Left Parties SHOCKER:

“For your information it is worth suggesting you read some of your Liberal Democratic literature being delivered around our District calling for a new Town on the A120 adjacent to Colchester in favour of any development at all in Tendring’s existing conurbations.

Your colleagues in the Liberal Democratic Group are adamant that these proposals are more beneficial and would see our Housing allocations “dumped” on your doorstep. For all the reasons stated in your rant we will fundamentally oppose that scale of development on our Boarders [sp] of Colchester. For that reason alone we assume you are glad the Conservatives run Tendring Council and not your Liberal Democrat Colleagues.

We look forward to receiving your letter of apology.”

…probably being sent right now by a carrier pigeon from the Colchester LibDem HQ at Magdelen Road, via Cloud Cuckoo Land before being shot down by a sniper wearing a yellow beret on the Colchester / Tendring border.

A final missive is left by Cllr Halliday, who lets it be known precisely what our border friends think of the green and pleasant land of Sunny Colch:

“PS A question for your Mr Russell is, do you agree with the huge urban sprawl development of your home town up to its boarders of Tendring which has, in many peoples eyes, seen a once beautiful town with an abundance of green lungs turn into an over populated dormitory town with most of its historical identity and individuality swallowed up under housing.”

OUCH.

*cough* Jaywick…

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