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Message from Clive Hay-Smith
As you will recall, having both taken advice from expert Counsel, NNDC and Greenhouse were independently advised that the original March 4th decision was legally sound, provided that the Planning Committee members were given the opportunity to amplify and ratify the reasons given for their refusal of Tesco's Cromer Road scheme and approval of the Greenhouse scheme on Weybourne Road. This process was delayed by over 7 months when three participants in the March 4th meeting, one of whom had successfully proposed the motion to approve Greenhouse and to reject Tesco, were the target of formal complaints made by known Pro-Tesco supporters and, more surprisingly, the CEO of NNDC, Philip Burton.
After many months of delay and investigation, all three accused District Councillors were completely exonerated.
I understand that certain Councillors and members of the public are requesting the formal intervention of the Ombudsman. I can fully understand that. Clearly, I am also bitterly disappointed by this result and the seemingly questionable means and methods by which it was effected. I will be seeking further legal advice but, as I have stated publicly, I will not emulate the intimidatory tactics of my competitors by threatening legal action without firm foundation.
Instead, in Tesco, NNDC looks set to welcome a retail 'cuckoo' into the heart of our beloved community and, in doing so, will twin Sheringham with the nearly 2500 other Tesco clone towns that exist in the UK alone. It is this lack of ambition and vision that is most disheartening; especially given our Conservative/Lib Dem coalition Government's stated aim to promote philanthropy, environmental sustainability and accountable local government as part of its "Big Society" ethos. Obviously not in North Norfolk.
Clive Hay-Smith |
"Many of you have contacted me to express your anger, disbelief and disappointment at the October 14th decision of NNDC's Joint Planning Committee to overturn its previous (March 4th) decision to approve the Greenhouse Community Project scheme on Weybourne Road and, in this new vote, to approve the retail-only Tesco scheme on Cromer Road with Greenhouse being rejected.
The resultant delay in seeking ratification enabled Tesco both to submit amendments to its (rejected) 2009 planning application, as well as a new 2010 planning application, which even Tesco described as being "fundamentally the same" as the previously rejected 2009 application. 
However, during the intervening period, the original Planning Committee was disbanded and reconstituted with new members and a new Chairman, Lib-Dem Councillor Simon Partridge, who had himself unsuccessfully proposed approval of the Tesco scheme on March 4th. The original proposer of the Greenhouse scheme, Councillor Candy Sheridan, was removed from the new Committee ahead of the October 14th vote. As a Committee member, Councillor Partridge also voted on October 14th to approve Tesco as one of 7 supporting votes. With a split vote of 7-7, it was then Cllr Partridge's additional casting vote that approved the Tesco scheme on Cromer Road. No vote was taken to ratify the original March 4th approval, nor was any satisfactory explanation given as to why such a vote was not undertaken.
In the meantime, as promised, I will continue to press on with funding and completing the construction of a new Town Council-owned storage facility, new cemetery parking and on-site toilets for allotment users on the Weybourne Road. All of this is still subject to Sheringham Town Council (as owners of the new allotment site and facilities) finally receiving planning permission, which is itself many months overdue as a result of delays caused by NNDC Planning Officers. This process delay is now being formally referred to the Government Planning Inspector. 
With Greenhouse, Sheringham had the unique opportunity to benefit economically from a world class, employee-owned food store operated by Waitrose; the Norfolk Food Academy's unparalleled facilities to help improve our community's health, education and career opportunities; adjacent Kitchen Gardens to provide NFA visitors with practical education and training on growing healthy fruit, herbs and vegetables; innovative and environmentally sustainable architecture and infrastructure including electric transport, recycling technology and linkages to the new, neighbouring allotment site (which is already in place and fully operational). 
I do want to thank each and every one of Greenhouse's many supporters for your fantastic encouragement and loyalty over the past couple of years. I started Greenhouse with the express and sincere intent of funding and delivering positive change to Sheringham. I am of course disappointed, both personally and for Sheringham, that my vision for Greenhouse will no longer become a reality."