I WRITE as the ex-chairman of the Warrington Civic Society, disgusted at the dictatorial behaviour of Warrington borough councillors on Palmyra Square. That I write at all is due to the heartening (but probably too late) response from your readers to your request for views on alternative plans for the square.
The very fact that the response is overwhelmingly in favour of the far less costly alternative is evidence that Mr Bailey's claim regarding consultation is absolute nonsense. Proper consultation would have involved the square's residents and the Civic Society from the beginning. This borough's version of consultation is to draw up plans then to ignore any views or proposed modifications to those plans. Only when the Civic Society brought in English Heritage did the Borough even begin to consider modifications. The really disgraceful side of the Borough's behaviour is highlighted by the following:
1. The square is unique in the north of England - there are only two others like it.
2. English Heritage's acceptance of the Borough's revised plans is conditional on the Borough consulting SOS Palmyra and the Civic Society - which suggests that they have reservations about the revisions! No such consultation has taken place.
3. Over a period of more than a year the Civic Society has written numerous submissions to both Borough officials and individual councillors. Not one single acknowledgement was ever received never mind a reasoned reply. About three telephone calls of support were received from non-Labour Councillors.
The whole episode has left a very nasty taste and raises the very serious issue that the Borough appears to have little or no regard for democracy and councillors who follow on like sheep. If the Borough has any respect at all for the views of its citizens then it should scrap its plans and consult on those presented by SOS Palmyra and the Civic Society.
Looking to the future I repeat what I have said before - only when your readers stand up and be counted by helping to form a pressure group will this Borough respond.
T. BEECROFT,
Hillfoot Crescent
Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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