Local News 
Planning permission for the Big Brother House [September 26th 2005]
Letter from Councillor Ann Harrison, Cowley Hill Ward
There were some important facts missing from last weeks letter from Councillor Hannah David regarding the planning permission issues surrounding the Big Brother House.
I was at that planning meeting where her proposal that planning permission for the Big Brother site should be granted one year at a time was defeated.
She states that the Leader of the Labour Group, Leon Reefe, voted against this idea but fails to mention the reasons why her proposal was defeated or the fact that her co-ward councillor for Hillside, Conservative Jean Heywood, cast the deciding vote against the proposal as Committee Chairman.
It was Leon who helped draft a compromise proposal that would allow local residents to participate in six-monthly meetings with Endemol and other interested parties, exactly the intention of Councillor David's proposal.
Given these extra conditions it was thought much more realistic to limit the planning permission for 18 months, instead of the original two years, so it coincided with the end of Endemol's current contract with the studios.
I think it was agreed by most people at the meeting that this was the best solution and the local residents will be, for the first time, involved in discussions with the studios and Endemol on a regular basis.
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