michael w
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"cautiously optimistic" - 2006/11/25 01:09
It seems that the even handedness of Lewes Matters is being somewhat perverted by Charles Style and that whilst it was not the stated intention of the website to take a position until the expert reports were in and the plans lodged, it may be time to take stock.
The developer has now cited his conversations/dialogue with Lewes Matters as participative consultation which in some way serves to excuse him from wider and more pro active community consultation. With the help of the Sussex Express (again) a few lines of an interview have been presented as an overall message and the one view of the meeting with Charles Style offered on the website (so neatly countered in the last Viva Lewes issue) again serves to suggest that there is a process of active and meaningful negotiation going on.
The perception of this forum, a fantastic initiative in itself, is one which offers a sense of security to many of the borderline apathetics in our local community; the sustainability issue in itself providing the developer with a ready supply of red herrings which he can throw out at will to put us all off the scent of the real concerns. There can be no sustainable development on this scale on a flood plain and anything offered, whilst better than nothing if the plans go ahead, will be of little more value than a recycled fridge in the "phoenix cafe". It doesn't mean that the efforts of all who have dedicated time, knowlege and personal commitment to get this far are anything less than admirable and noble, but it is serving to divert attention and allow people to think that the parties who have organised themselves to look at this development are indeed "cautiously optimistic" about it and therefore, that it is a "good thing".
This developer must be laughing at the people of Lewes everytime he feels he has addressed a concern with his customary lack of detail and that gets misreported - we can't rely solely on the planners and people don't get mobilised by well mannered discussions.
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