During the Planning and Scheming Committee meeting of the Smalltown and Dullbridge Town Council last night , councillors made a decision which left residents delighted.
The unscheduled meeting had been scheduled at short notice to discuss Hellhole Holiday Park’s application for a licence to hold outdoor events 24 hours a day, seven days a week for ever.
Residents in the area turned up en masse to voice their objections and, faced with a room full of unhappy people, Councillors decided that it might be a good idea to do what they were told.
Several residents spoke out against the plans citing loud noise and anti-social behaviour as their main objections. Hellhole is proposing to use the outdoor stage for music, films, plays, missile testing, and boxing and wrestling matches.
Resident Martin Feeling-O’Kay told the meeting “We think these plans are unneighbourly and unreasonable. Hellhole are putting the wants of holidaymakers before the needs of residents.”
Gloria Gaynor, who lives very close to the site, said “First – we are afraid and we are petrified. We won’t be able to sleep unless you councillors see our side. We already spend so many nights with noise that’s very loud, you must ensure these plans aren’t allowed.”
Councillors were generally in agreement, but Cllr Phil Footballs said “Looking at it from a business point of view I think we should certainly allow the boxing to go ahead. I have a boxing club which trains at my Ashtree Business Park and since I closed the Ashtree Venue they have nowhere locally to hold events, so this would be great. We never had any complaints about our events.”
A resident hit back at the council saying “We’ve heard from a Councillor saying that ‘this decision is nothing to do with you’. Well it is. Just because Sadgebore District Council have the final say it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a duty to convey our opinions to them.”
Squire Teflon, clearly stung by the criticism, replied “That’s why we are having this meeting. Obviously we are going to listen to your point of view. There’s an election coming up and we need to look as if we always do the best for the electorate. It won’t be our fault if Sadgebore don’t listen.”
He continued “I’ve discussed this with my employer and close-friend Mistress Bones and she tells me that Hellhole provide newspapers and tat on their site to visitors, so she has nothing to gain from this application being approved. So I recommend that we send our objections to Sadgebore.”