Labour does such a nice line in hypocrisy.

[Simon Fairlie]

Anyone  exercised by the Government's proposal,  in the Planning  
White Paper, to abolish public inquiries for  major infrastructure  
projects  on the grounds that inquiries take too long  may be amused  
by this:


Inspector rejects Thames Gateway Bridge but Government orders new  
inquiry!

The Inspectors Report into the Thames Gateway Bridge, finally  
published at the end of July, dramatically rejected the £500m  
motorway bridge in south east London.  However the Government did not  
want to hear that answer and so promptly ordered a fresh inquiry!   
The Inspector said the scheme was not in compliance with policies to  
reduce car-travel (PPG13), was counter to Government policies to  
tackle climate change, increased traffic and discouraged cycling and  
walking.  He also ruled the traffic, economic and regeneration  
modelling was not robust enough.

This case was unusual in that Transport for London (the bridge  
promoters) had given objectors £60,000 to fight the bridge, in a deal  
with the Green Party, which holds the balance of power in the London  
Assembly.  This enabled the objectors to mount a superb David v  
Goliath attack on the bridge, with TfL’s budget set at £2m to fight  
for the scheme!  It is expected TfL will have to fund the opposition  
again or risk being seen to be stitching things up.
 > Press release
 > The conclusions of the Inspector’s Report are worth a rea

Courtesy of Road Block, part of Transport 2000, office at roadblock.org.uk

Cheers


Simon Fairlie

The Land,

The Potato Store, Flaxdrayton Farm,
S. Petherton, Somerset TA 13 5LR

01460 249204
chapter7 at tlio.org.uk
www.thescytheshop.co.uk
www.tlio.org.uk





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