Number 10′s response to the ecotown petition

I’ve just recieved the email link to Number 10′s response to the petition initiated by BARD on the Number 10 website.  This website was launched with much joy and gusto to allow the people to communicate directly with the driving forces of New Labour.  It was billed as a way to have the feelings of the general public heard and responded to.  Instead it has become a joke, between the humorous petitions to have Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” replace “God save the Queen” as the national anthem the real petitions have been fobbed off with responses that appear to have been written by office interns on a Friday afternoon.

So for your consideration, here is the text of the petition:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop consideration of possible Eco-town at Long Marston near Stratford-upon-Avon.”

Details of Petition:

“The site of the former Number 1 Engineers Supply Depot [ Army ] and adjoining land at Long Marston has been submitted as a possible site for a new Government Eco-town by St Modwyn and The Bird Group.By mid-February 2008 the Government are to choose 10 sites out of 50 to 60 submitted. There is considerable opposition locally as this is presently within a peaceful corner of South Warwickshire, where the need for such a new town is generally considered neither necessary nor desirable. Most importantly, the infrastructure for a new town does not exist and the site is served by one B- class road and country lanes only. A new town with a minimum population of 13,000 [ half the size of Stratford-upon-Avon ] will bring traffic chaos to Stratford,an important tourist town, with only two very limited crossings over the River Avon. I therefore petition the Prime Minister to confer urgently with Hazel Blears MP to whom letters opposing the proposals have been sent.”

To which Number 10 has responded:

On 4 November 2008 the Department for Communities and Local Government launched the second stage of the eco-towns consultation programme and published a Draft Eco-Towns Planning Policy Statement (PPS), Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Impact Assessment. In the accompanying press notice, the Housing Minister outlined the shortlist of locations with the potential to be an eco-town.  Middle Quinton was included in this list.  The consultation closed on 30 April 2009.

The Government recognises the strength and depth of feeling that proposals for new housing development generate. All representations received as part of the current consultation will be considered, alongside location assessments, before Government publishes the final PPS and list of locations with the potential to be an eco-town later this year.

No final decisions on sites have been taken. It is not expected that all locations will be endorsed. The PPS will set the toughest ever green standards required of new development in the UK and proposals will need to demonstrate their potential to meet them if they are to be short-listed. The Sustainability Appraisal chapter on Middle Quinton identifies a number of issues which would need to be addressed were the proposal to go forward.

A financial viability study of the eco-towns programme prepared with input from external advisors was published on 5 March 2009.  All documents can be viewed at www.direct.gov.uk/ecotowns

Now I believe you can read that as a condescending pat on the head, “Well done for writing a petition, it doesn’t change anything though”.

Now I’m hoping the sudden abandonment of the post by Hazel “Communities, who listens to them?” Blears from Browns rapidly shrinking cabinet means that we’ll see a more logical pair of hands at the helm of rural redevelopment in the near future.  However, I’m realistic enough to understand that with things as bad as they are right now for Brown and the Labour party, they might just keep steering into the crash just to see how much worse things can get!

Middle Quinton’s unsupported claims

Looks like St Modwen and The Bird Group of Companies have been at it again, stretching the truth about the poorly planned Middle Quinton “eco-town” site (BBC News – Eco town advert misled public).  This time their fanciful marketing has been dragged before the Advertising Standards Authority.

In a local press advert St Modwen and The Bird Group claimed:

the town would create 4,700 jobs and 6,000 homes.

However the ASA decided these numbers were unsubstantiated, and the advert must never be rerun until supporting evidence for these claims can be provided.

In addition the ASA objected to the developers describing the site as “brownfield”, which implies unused land normally reclaimed from previous development, when in fact the development plan includes  agricultural land, rivers, and woodland.

I’m not surprised though, the entire plan has been sold under false pretences from the start, and as the BARD campaign continues to grow in voice it seems inevitable that this short-sighted and poorly planned development is doomed to fail!

It is a shame that the government has failed to perform a U-turn on this ridiculous eco-sham.  I wouldn’t expect anything intelligent from the Department of Communities and Local Government right now though, especially with Hazel Blears facing a vote of no confidence from her own constituency party (Manchester Evening News) due to the continuing fallot from her mis-use of MP’s expenses!

Hazel Blears, no Mags!

Even the BBC were impressed with Hazel Blears turn of phrase;

So when Hazel Blears said “YouTube if you want to”, but traditional methods were best, she both coined a catchy phrase and risked publicly contradicting her boss.

BBC News – What is Hazel Blears up to?

However, she quite obviously did not “coin a catchy phrase” she just played upon the words of Margaret Thatcher in her famous quote:

“To those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only this to say, ‘You turn if you want; the lady’s not for turning.’”

- Margaret Thatcher

Now poor Hazel is facing a bit of a problem, when in the one breath she denounces Gordon Brown’s YouTube policy announcement, and in the next breath she claims to support her dear leader 100%.  Sounds like a u-turn to me, even if it isn’t on YouTube!  Thirty years on from when Thatcher came to power following a winter of discontent and a decade of Labour mismanagement leaving the county with 2 million plus unemploted it seems like Hazel picked her words a touch poorly.  Here we are again in economic turmoil, with a conflicted Labour government lacking clear leadership, scrabbling at policies and u-turning so quickly that they must be getting dizzy.  Unemployment is nearing record levels, and the next general election seems pretty predictable at this stage…

So Hazel, nice to see you know your political history, but don’t expect too much from misquoting Maggie! “YouTube if you want to; the lady’s not for tubing” doesn’t have the same ring to it, makes you sound like a failed extreme sports competitor!

Oh, and while you criticise the PM’s YouTube message, don’t forget your own political career is hanging on the debacle of the Eco Towns!

You may want to compare the current Government’s performance to that of Maragert Thatcher’s starting 30 years ago.  Wonder what songs they’ll put to the Blair/Brown years?  BBC News Photomontage

unfair, illogical and unreasonable

Those three words were used by John Steele QC to describe the Gordon Brown’s “eco-town” policy.  As I long time supporter of the BARD Campaign I read with interest the latest stumbling block for New Labour’s forced destruction of rural communities:

The Telegraph – Gordon Brown’s controversial eco-town plan could be unlawful, according to top QCs

Unfortunately, as so frequently happens, the Government has ignored the sensible advice from learned independent bodies and has come out on the offensive. As can be seen in the words of Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, who said:

“Eco-towns can help the country tackle the twin challenges of the housing shortage and climate change.

“We need to build more homes that are environmentally sound, in areas with good transport links and alongside the public services which are needed to create places where people want to live.”

This is a brilliant example of “Do what we say or you’re an evil, elitest, environment hater” which handily completely ignores that fact that most of tehse proposed “Eco-towns” do not have good transport links (actually know the local Stratford area or see the BARD Campaign for further details) and have limited employment opportunities locally, whilst developing sites which are currently brown/green-belt land and rural communities.  I’m no urban planner, but no easy transport, no jobs, and the destruction of rural habitats doesn’t sound that “ECO” to me!

Don’t forget that so far the Government has spent more than £3 million on the eco-town suicide mission, without a single home being built (The Telegraph – Eco-towns bill soars to more than £3 million before a house is built).  With over a third of that money being spent on PR exercise and websites to try and con the public into believing this is a valuable plan!

Earlier this year Labour’s own back-benchers strongly criticised Hazel Blear’s inappropriately named Department for Communities and Local Government, stating that it lacked the skills necissary to put vital policies into operation!  They went so far as to say that:

“The eco-town programme, even if successful, will make no huge contribution to the very significant problem of housing supply which is, rightly, one of the department’s top priorities.” – BBC News – MPs criticise housing department

So with that condemnation rining in their ears it is time for you to add your own voice.  The deadline for “Middle Quinton” has been extended to the end of this month (BBC News – More time for eco-town plan views) so write to your MP, and visit the BARD Campaign website to find how else you can get involved!

See also:

• Building.co.uk – Future unclear for eco-towns as financial troubles hit half
• Financial Times (Westminster blog) – RIP Eco-towns

A deputy mayor, and other British political news

I wasn’t going to get into a rant on the headlines I’ve been seeing this morning regarding Britain’s political parties, I resisted as long as I could but I’ve got to come out and say it…

I’m amazed at the huge headlines on the BBC News website and elsewhere in the MSM regarding how the Torries [are] in ‘disarray’ over Lewis (Ray Lewis, a former deputy mayor of London who resigned earlier this week due to financial irregularities and other charges being raised).  You’d think all was well in the world, and that this was the only story in the offing.  Then you look at the list of following headlines, and realise that the soundbite quote from Hazel Blears was a desperate act to push the weekend paper’s focus away from another New Labour week.  Search for her name on most news websites and you’ll find her speaking up with a good soundbite, a catchy headline, any week when the news direction needed nudging away from another Brown/Blair disaster… so in the interest of press equality, a few other stories from this weeks British political scene:

• Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander quit after investigations into financial irregularities (News.Scotsman.com, New Statesman).  Since the Standards Comittee had already delivered its ruling did she quit because she was worried there was more to be discovered?
• Labour’s sure to win candidate for Glasgow East, George Ryan, quit the by-election race after missing a selection meeting. (BBC News)
• Labour had severe funding issues and almost failed to deliver its annual accounts to the Electoral Commission in time. (BBC News).  With their accounts showing that it is only ‘big union’ support keeping them from vanishing into the red you’d think they’d be more worried about failed pay deals and the threats of strike action.  If the unions leave Labour where will they go?  Are Britain’s unions the equivilant of the big oil, NRA, tobacco financing of the US political stage?
• Questions were raised as to whether the Prime Minister had had to offer incentives to secure votes for his controversial anti-terror laws. (BBC News).
• The Prime Minister signalled a U-turn on this autumn’s fuel tax increase. (Piston Heads).  Councils have started asking for a price feeze for their fuels since they believe the increased cost for essential services would push them into the red.  Interesting, I wonder if the general public should get the same break, after all, if you can’t drive to work…
• The “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” policies of the last 11 years have proven to be little more than empty promises as record crime now costs £275 per person (BBC News), yet more stabbings took place in the capital (BBC News), there was yet another setback for the idiotic identity card scheme (BBC News), and emergency legislation had to be brought in to protect witnesses in court cases (BBC News) in response to earlier knee jerk law making.

So there you go, a few top stories from this week in British politics, oh and by the way one of several deputy mayors resigned. Nice to see the big wheels of spin keep on turning, I think I’ll go back to watching the American political mudslinging now!