| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Grove Park CPZ again | |
| Posted by: | Dan Murphy | |
| Date/Time: | 07/09/15 10:50:00 |
| Hi Jason I was quite heavily involved in this whole CPZ thing since June 2012 when it first became clear that Cllr. Mayne was going to ignore all the previous decisions regarding CPZ in Grove Park. He decided that he was going to force a CPZ into Park & Staveley Roads, despite the overwhelming views of GP residents against any CPZ. The further I looked into it (along with the admirable Andy Murray, who was Chair of the Grove Park association at the time) and a dedicated band of other concerned residents, the more it became clear that the entire case for CPZ was based upon a web of lies and deceit. To be honest, I learned that our council, and in particular the traffic department had decided that GP was going to get an area wide CPZ, and that any and all objections would be ignored; consultations would be manipulated; and difficult questions would be batted away with lies or other legalese / technicalities. It was truly shocking to see their blatant disregard for any transparent democracy. I have to say I was thoroughly exhausted (and depressed) by the entire experience. I came to the conclusion that our council are a bunch of scheming weasels who know they can do what they want, and ignore the views of the majority of residents. And that turned out to be true. Even when clear written evidence of blatant lies were sent to the Ombudsman, we were told to stop moaning about it. The response I got from the Ombudsman was "Who appointed you as the activist voice of Grove Park residents? You seem to be someone who just likes making a fuss about things which do not concern you". That is, concerned about our councilors lying to us. I was told to stop being a busybody. So to be honest, I am not sure I want to get into it again. I spent 3 years (with Andy and others) gathering evidence, writing to councillors, attending meetings, submitting FOIs, involving the Ombudsman, and spending hundreds of hours trying to get the council to play fair. It was all a total waste of time. They know they can ignore us, and they do. There is no point in appealing to the council's sense of fair play, they don't have one. The only way we can have an effect is if the 90% of Grove Park residents who are against any further CPZ, actually complete the consultation forms and send them back. But my view is that the vast majority of residents, whilst being against it (and we know they are, the council has the evidence of the previous door-to-door petition showing that 92% of residents are against CPZ), they simply don't bother to fill in these consultation forms. Aside from that, the council will ignore anything else we have to say. So I have to say I am reluctant to get involved again. |