If you are presented with “a quote” then can I request that you look for the bigger picture.
Last week there were reports of the great things the Tories were doing for our Leisure Centres… over £500,000 spent on new flumes… unfortunately they forgot to mention something!
Can you see what is missing from the picture above?
Today it was reported that I said that the 450 houses being built at the back of Wyevales / Aldi will need to be “eco-friendly with no cars”.
When what I said was taken completely out of context… here is what I actually said at Full Council last week on the topic of Overview & Scrutiny…
…Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
LTNs would have walked into everyday life in the New Year had there not been Independent opposition to ask the questions, bring it to the residents attention and cause a U-TURN.
Brought to Communities O&S, the Lead member promised if residents didn’t want them, they would not happen. Result… they didn’t and he was as good as his word…
Now, with a change of name and a fresh consultation, they are being brought back and looking to make significant changes to the lives of residents.
And to be honest, I’m cool with fewer idiots in cars on the road but if this is the game plan, can it please be reflected in the new housing estates being built in RBWM?
The 450 houses on AL21 need to be eco-friendly, no cars, perfect models of the future…
Thing is, would Wates be happy with this? Is this optimising their profits? Would residents buy?
Or do we need to wait for 2040, when the UK Gov will be chasing around looking for ways to push back on the Climate Change agenda date of 2050, for councils to be brave enough to challenge builders and set very high standards?
Do we make it easy for the builders and simply force change on existing estates when builders are long gone? Surely that would be double standards?
I’m hoping, after my 121 with Wates this week, proposing the above, to see some significant changes to the plans they have been schmoozing through. To be fair, they seem like they are actually listening to residents’ concerns and mitigating any risk to plans being turned down.
Perhaps the model needs to be… if a builder will not add the LTN to their new application then it cannot be enforced on existing estates within a 5 mile radius.
Anyway, back to the topic… O&S is a waste of everyone’s time and the administration knows it.
You can read what I said at the June Council meeting in full here >>>
So please, don’t be taken for a mug, find the actual quote in context before drawing any conclusions.
Thank you.
Jon
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