Press release:

Parklife ‘Save Priory Park!’ campaign

Friday 13th March 2009

Contact Parklife directly on 07739 189165

Or e-mail priory_parklife@yahoo.co.uk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
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Southend Council continues to withhold Priory Crescent plans from Parklife.

Campaigners allege cover up and call for scheme to be scrapped amid escalating climate catastrophe.

Controversial latest plans for changes to Cuckoo Corner and the widening of Priory Crescent have been withheld from local campaign group Parklife, under a recent – and much delayed – Freedom of Information response from Southend Borough Council (SBC).

The Parklife group – formed in June 2001 to prevent the road widening – requested the latest details and drawings in January, after establishing that funding could be made available as soon as April 2009 in order for work to commence on the first stretch of road. (1)

Campaigner Shaun Qureshi said, ‘This is a cover up with crucial information first being delayed and then subsequently withheld. Council officers would not return e-mails or telephone calls regarding the information request, nor meet face to face to explain the latest situation. Meanwhile the scheme moves inexorably forward behind the scenes.’ (2)

It is believed that the public is being intentionally kept in the dark until £5m in regional funding is secured from the East of England Regional Assembly. Meanwhile, Parklife are now held up in the complaints process, and believe that they are unlikely to obtain any relevant or timely information based upon this scenario. (3)

Mr Qureshi issued a direct challenge to the councillor responsible for transport and planning, stating, ‘Cllr Anna Waite can resolve the situation here and now by publicly announcing that the road widening is no more. Road building should have no place as part of a sane and connected planning response to the unfolding climate catastrophe that we are beginning to witness.’

The world’s leading climate scientists, meeting for an emergency climate summit in Copenhagen this week, have called for politicians to act now to avoid catastrophe. (4)

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ENDS.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

(1) Initial request was made under Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations on Thursday 22nd January.
Response was made by SBC on Wednesday 4th March stating with regard to statutory undertakers drawings that, ‘The information is provided solely to the Council and cannot be reproduced and made public.’ Little else was provided, apart from some costings and a copy of a report to the East of England Regional Transport Forum, made on Tuesday 10th February:
http://www.eera.gov.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAAyADQAOAAyAHwAfABGAGEAbABzAGUAfAB8ADAAfAA1

(2) SBC would not formally acknowledge receipt of the original information request via e-mail, would not return telephone calls made to the team leader of the highways department, and an Engineer from the team would not meet face to face when requested at the Civic Centre on the day (18th March) before the original deadline.

(3) Complaints have been lodged by Parklife both with the Southend Borough Council Complaints Officer, and the Information Commissioner.

(4) For more news on the Copenhagen emergency climate summit see:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/environment/4982149/Worlds-leading-scientists-in-desperate-plea-to-politicians-to-act-on-climate-change.html

Press release:

Parklife ‘Save Priory Park!’ campaign

Wednesday 4th March 2009

Contact Parklife directly on 07739 189165

Or e-mail priory_parklife@yahoo.co.uk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
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Parklife slams Council’s Priory Crescent ‘Freedom of Information’ process.

Council withholds Priory Crescent plans whilst awaiting funding go-ahead, as ‘environmental catastrophe’ accelerates.

Local residents campaign group Parklife has today lodged a formal complaint with the Information Commissioners Office, regarding the withholding of latest controversial plans for Cuckoo Corner and Priory Crescent, in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
Campaigners submitted Freedom of Information requests to the Department for Transport (DfT), regional Government offices, and Southend Borough Council (SBC) in January. To date the Council has yet to respond – despite being obligated to do so by the twenty working day deadline of Thursday 19th February. (1)

Parklife campaigner Shaun Qureshi said, ‘Council officers have not provided any information, and will not return e-mails or telephone calls, despite repeated attempts on our part to find out exactly what is going on. We have not been informed of the latest scheme details, and will therefore assume the worst until given reason to do otherwise.’

Funding for the revised plans has yet to be confirmed, but in a recent development, SBC are now bidding for £5m from the East of England Regional Assembly. This is likely to prove far more successful than previous bids for central Government cash from the DfT, as no further modelling or assessment will be required, other than that necessary to satisfy the Council. (2)

Qureshi added, ‘It is likely that SBC will be in a position to begin work on Priory Crescent very soon, with the only limitation being the amount of money to be made available from both regional and local funds. One would hope that major public opposition, combined with the latest data detailing accelerating environmental catastrophe would be enough to justify cancelling the road widening – this might be the last chance for the people behind it to listen.’ (3)

Campaigners and members of Camp Bling still pledge to end the campaign and vacate the protest site if the road widening element of the plans is dropped.

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ENDS.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

(1) Requests were made under Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations on Thursday 22nd January to:

Department for Transport (Major Projects)
Government Office for the East of England
East of England Regional Assembly Regional Transport Forum
Southend Borough Council

All were required to respond within twenty working days of the date of request.

(2) Section 1.5 of a report by Southend Borough Council to the East of England Regional Transport Forum on Tuesday 10th February 2009 states:

‘The DfT have confirmed that a revised Major Scheme Business Case will not be required for the scheme or any further modelling or appraisal assessment carried out other than that required to ensure that the Borough Council can satisfy itself that the scheme continues to represent value for money.’

For full text see:

http://www.eera.gov.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAAyADQAOAAyAHwAfABGAGEAbABzAGUAfAB8ADAAfAA1

(3) For latest news detailing environmental catastrophe see: www.savepriorypark.org and/or www.campbling.org