Friday, July 03, 2009
First published : CASCET
Now the Government seems about to be announce the decision about Pennbury, members of the Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco-town (CASCET1) are delivering the petitions opposing the location of the Pennbury eco-town on Thursday 16th July to Number 10 Downing Street.
Edward Garnier QC MP (Harborough), who has Great Glen and the Strettons in his constituency, is accompanying the six member party at 12 noon. Two petitions will be delivered totalling 14,953 names. There are 3,853 names on the e-petition which ran for 12 months from 4th December 2007, and 11,100 names on the paper petition which has been running in parallel.
CASCET have repeatedly argued that the location proposed for the Co-operative Group’s 15,000 home Pennbury town is unsustainable, unworkable and unviable. This huge number of signatures, almost one per proposed house, demonstrates the depth of feeling by the public in Leicestershire including Leicester.
Dr Kevin Feltham, chairman of CASCET and Leicestershire County Councillor, said, “I am encouraged that so many people have signed to oppose the location for this proposed eco-town. CASCET has always maintained the location is wrong because of limited transport infrastructure and employment prospects, and this has been supported by evidence collected by the County Council.
“We now have a strong indication that Government ministers will announce whether any of the 11 remaining eco-town locations meet the exacting eco-town standards before parliament rises for the summer recess on 21st July.
“Recently the Pennbury site has been described as a “long shot” in the Architect’s Journal. This huge number of signatures shows the depth of local opposition to the proposals by the Co-op, and why the Government should definitely not choose this site as one of the exemplar eco-towns.”