Mass-Development - County Council Elections on June 4th
■ Why are the County elections important for Mass-Development? ■ What do the candidates stand for?
■ Who will fight the District Council's Mass-Development Scheme?
■ There is still timeto register – including postal & proxy votes
The County Council Elections are very important
The County Council Elections are very important because, as the Highways Authority, the County Council’s attitude to whatever Mass-Development Scheme the District Council Leadership choose to put forward under the Core Strategy, will be very influential at the public examination. Anything other than full support from the County would be very damaging to the District Council Leadership. We need representatives in Chichester who will insist that the views of residents of East Grinstead & the surrounding villages are clearly heard.
During the 2005 County Council election campaign, the PRC actively sought out straight answers from every candidate giving their positions on the District Council's Mass-Development proposals, so that voters could be as well informed as possible when deciding who to vote for. We published their answers on our website and arranged a public meeting at the Chequer Mead for residents to ask them questions, directly.
As a result, East Grinstead voters decided that Margaret Ball and Margaret Collins would make the two county councillors most committed to fighting the scheme and would be most effective at sticking up for the interests of constituents - without letting party loyalty compromise their protests.
Conservative Margaret Ball de-selected for fighting District Council Mass-Development Scheme? In 2005, Margaret Ball promised to fight the Mass-Development Scheme resolutely. Once elected, she didn't just pay lip service to her election pledge, she arranged regular meetings for the PRC with both the WSCC Head of Planning & Environment, Kieran Stigant and the Leader Henry Smith - something that had not been achievable hitherto. These meetings have proved very constructive and we very much appreciate Margaret’s help in arranging them and the time generously given to us by both Kieran and Henry. There certainly couldn’t be a starker contrast between their constructive approach and the negative and dismissive attitude of the Leadership in Haywards Heath.
MSDC refuse to meet with PRC:
In response to a recent PRC request for a meeting to discuss latest developments, concerning the SHLAA, the South East Plan and MSDC statements we received this reply
"It has indeed been some time (since we met) and a lot has happened re the EG part of the Core Strategy. However from the highly critical tone you adopt re MSDC, who are only trying to do their best in very difficult circumstances, I'm not at all sure a meeting would be sensible. I fear you would use it for political ends and that I cannot allow.
"....I would ask you and your group to look at and find solutions for the terrible traffic situation in EG town centre.
"It is time for positive action not just opposition!!" Cllr Susanna Kemp
The PRC supplied our [ 'Sustainable Alternative' ] in early 2006 at the request of the District Council - hasn't Cllr Kemp read it?
Flaws in transport model identified as result
These meetings led directly to the PRC’s transport consultants, MTRU, having access to the transport model. On detailed examination, MTRU exposed a fundamental flaw in the District's transport studies and reports. The District Council has not tested the effect of 4,700 new homes at East Grinstead (which they say they are planning) but just 2,500, confirming our suspicions that the reports are completely unrealistic.They have tested only half the number proposed!
Astonishingly, the candidate list for the County Council elections confirms that the Conservatives at Haywards Heath have deselected Margaret Ball, preventing her from standing again. From the moment she was elected District Council Leader Marples hindered, rather than helping Margaret, by not inviting her onto the Joint Members Advisory Group, which he chairs, even though representatives from Copthorne were included. It now looks as if they hope to replace her with someone more compliant.
Instead of being grateful that through her personal intervention, a fundamental flaw in the District's traffic studies had been discovered before it is too late, and which their own planners should have spotted, it seems that at Mid Sussex they resent Councillors who do their job, deliver their election promises or stand up for their constituents instead of meekly toeing the party line, come what may.Why on earth would they de-select such an effective Councillor?[click here]
In contrast the Liberal Democrats have reselected Margaret Collins, their existing County Councillor who consistently voted against the inclusion of the East Grinstead strategic location in the county Structure Plan, to stand again in East Grinstead South & Ashurst Wood.
The PRC believes that East Grinstead needs to elect a replacement in the Meridian Division, who will fight every bit as hard as Margaret Ball, against unsustainable Mass-Development, even if it means upsetting the leadership in Haywards Heath. It's a tall order, but who would do that best?
What do the candidates stand for? Perhaps understandably, candidates are often hesitant about being too clear on exactly what they would do on contentious issues, once elected. In the 2005 elections most of the candidates' literature ignored the subject or danced about the issues with vague promises. This doesn’t help the voter when trying to decide which candidate would best fight the Haywards Heath plans.
For these elections, the PRC aims to help bring this information out into the public domain, just as we did in 2005. So our Committee Chairman, Jon Morton Smith, has written personally to each of the candidates standing for election to the County Council on June 4th:
■ East Grinstead Meridian ■ East Grinstead South & Ashurst Wood ■ Imberdown
We are asking them to state clearly:
■ their view on the development plans for East Grinstead - including their views on the 'Relief' Road routes - and ■ what if anything they promise to do to try and stop the scheme
Also, if they have been a Councillor of any sort (County, District, Town) we are asking them:
■ to give evidence that supports their position and shows that they have “walked the talk” and what they have done to deliver on their previous promises
We expect to hear back from candidates in the next week and we will be publishing their responses on our website. We hope this will help those voters who are concerned about the Haywards Heath driven Mass-Development proposals to decide to whom they wish to award their vote.
There is still time to register – including postal & proxy votes
If you know anyone who is not already registered to vote, or will be away on election day, there is still time to register including for postal or proxy votes.
■ Please share what we send you with any of your family and friends ■ Please encourage them to visit our new website & to watch out for further messages
