Innova Park Q & A's
Here are the answers to questions you are still asking us - If you require more information feel free to contact your Ward Councillors or MP anytime between now & the next Elections or we suggest come Election time we can all vote (as we have in the past & which is more than most of the planning members did).
”Truth is incontrovertible malice may attack it & ignorance may deride it but in the end there it is.” Sir Winston Churchill
Q. Was there an alternative to housing?
A.Yes there was the option of providing jobs on site as displaced businesses from the Olympics seeking sites like this expressed interest in coming here but the LBE did not show the site to them & seemed determined to allow homes.
Q. Why?
A. Money?
Q. What will be the main problems for us?
A. Traffic onto Ordnance will be a problem - Primary School Places will be squeezed - GP's of course have closed lists now & Police & other services are at full stretch - So the extra homes will exacerbate the situation - More people will mean more demand but not more provision.
Q. Didn't the LBE know all this (I thought they refused it before the last election)?
A. Yes we wrote to them at length & we spoke on the night but they passed it anyway - They did say that services were not material & that they did not even need to ask the PCT (for health) or the Emergency Services (Police - Fire - Ambulance) - They said they 'thought' schools would cope but had 'not checked the figures yet'.
Q. What are they doing about it all then?
A. Not a lot really. They are altering Ordnance Road to give priority for traffic coming into Ordnance from Mollison which will make it impossible to get out of Ordnance or off the Causeway at peak times (& we are not sure the priority traffic will get into Ordnance - priority or not). The rest of the services were not discussed at the meeting & seemed of little concern to LBE.
Q. What about GPs?
A. Yes we asked that - LBE seemed unconcerned that there will be no GPs for these homes (or us)
Q. What about Primary Places then?
A. Yes we asked that too - LBE said they thought there were places although admitted they 'Hadn't looked at the figures'.
Q. What about the £900,000 the developer said they were giving to us & the community centre they say they are building - Are they?
A. Interesting isn't it? No they are not building a community centre - They have agreed to make available a space on the ground floor of one of the buildings in the new development - But it will be a gatedprivate estate & this will be paid for by the residents (as will nearly everything else) & not for anyone to use (& is very small).
Q. But what about the £900,000 the developer said they were "pumping into the area" then - Is that right?
A. Not exactly - They are spending a lot of money but not on the community - This is what it is made up of:
*Provision of (a small gross area) of open space within Innova - public access & maintenance
*Management Plan for the private (not open to anyone even new site residents) lake area - Not great for us then.
* Conservation plan in connection with the access from Ordnance Rd - Needed due to possible disturbance & loss of habitat & wildlife caused by the new roadway!
*Construction of the traffic routes - Yes they will certainly help us?
*£200,000 towards off- site highway works - Needed to pay for the right hand priority turn and junction alterations to deal with the extra cars onto Ordnance Rd!
*£10,000 towards study of A10/Bullsmoor Lane junction - Great community gain then?
*Public access to on-site roads in the event they are not adopted - There was always public access agreements onto Innova for pedestrians & cyclists so nothing new then!
*Certification of Bridge access from Ordnance Road prior to public use - Yes, Yes for the extra traffic
*£330,000 over 3 years towards public transport improvements - OK but not especially for the Lock or the general public unless you use it & only if buses can get down Ordnance which they often cannot!
*£80,000 a year for 3 yrs for bus service serving the Academy - Lovely!
*30% affordable housing provision - Of course!
*Green Travel Plan - We love a good plan!
*Education contribution based on the children of Plot 5 - They must pay this so it is hardly 'extras' & will not cover the cost of a school & will not provide additional places only more porta-cabins - lovely!
* Community space of approx 1000sq.ft in one block - Maintained at the cost of the residents for their use it being a private estate like EIV - This is the 'community centre' talked about in the press!.
*£10,000 towards off site existing play facilities - Well that's OK then - Still no primary places or GPs or extra services but they are 'pumping money into the community - we think not!
Q. Not great for us then - Not much 'community pumping' going on?
A. No we thought that!
Q. Who passed it then & Why?
A. 5 Planning Members (Most didn't turn up or vote - See 'Who Did What' & previous 'News Story') & who knows why.
A. The Conservatives (who passed it) said they would never build homes without services when in opposition & Labour were building the EIV & they did refuse it before the local election (not sure why?).
A. Labour always maintained Innova must be for jobs (they approved EIV with no services) but most of them did not turn up & 3 out of 4 who did wouldn't vote to stop this. So there wasn't much to choose between the two on the night - But you could always write to them & ask them what they were thinking.
Q. So both parties went back on their word (Labour said they wouldn't support more homes & the Conservatives said they would never do it to us) & neither supported the Lock then?
A. Individual members (3c & 1L) did try - But no neither (there being no election pending this time) supported us at all - The Lock's problems were not a concern again.
Q. What about the MP?
A. Yes she did write to the LBE & said they should refuse it but her letter was not read out & only 'noted'.
A. We wrote to government to ask them to look at this as it broke their own legislation - They said our infrasturcture & the LBE's breach of guidlines & protocol was not their concern.
A. The MP has stil not phoned after several months
Q. What about all the problems then?
A. Yes we asked that - No sensible reply from LBE - MP or Government to date
