Tuesday, June 09, 2009
First published : CASCET
Following the recent Government Cabinet resignations and the subsequent re-shuffle, the Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco-town (CASCET1) has responded by seeking an early meeting with the new ministerial team at the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG).
CASCET have repeatedly demonstrated, using their own analysis and citing reports produced by the Leicestershire County Council, that the location proposed for the Co-operative Group’s 15,000 home Pennbury town is unsustainable, unworkable and unviable.
Dr Kevin Feltham, chairman of CASCET and newly re-elected Leicestershire County Councillor, contacted local MPs on 6th June: Edward Garnier QC MP (Con. Harborough), Alan Duncan MP (Con. Rutland & Melton), Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP (Lab. Leicester East) and Sir Peter Soulsby MP (Lab. Leicester South), and requested that they seek an early appointment with Rt Hon John Denham (Secretary of State) and Rt Hon John Healey (Minister for Housing) to “strike while the iron was hot” with the new DCLG ministerial team.
Kevin Feltham said, “I was particularly concerned to read one of Margaret Beckett’s last statements on her last day of being the Housing Minister, that there could be an announcement shortly, and felt the arguments against the location needed to be spelt out by the four local MPs.
“I therefore took the initiative and contacted all four local MPs last Saturday, and I had rapid responses from them all continuing to express their concerns about the proposed eco-town. All agreed that the timing was right to ensure that the arguments against the Pennbury location were explained to the new team. This is an opportunity to request that the location is not on the final list of eco-towns that will be given the go ahead later this year. All said they would work together to seek an early appointment.
“I was therefore very pleased to have a phone call from Keith Vaz over the weekend confirming that he had already been in touch with the new Secretary of State, John Denham, and that a meeting would be arranged shortly.
“The Leicestershire eco-town should be erased from the DCLG scheme, and I will be continuing to urge our MPs to make this point when they meet the new DCLG ministerial team.”