PRESS RELEASE: Campaigners demand meeting with Grant Shapps to discuss involvement and timing of Government's Ox-Cam Expressway 'Priority Review'
CAMPAIGNERS DEMAND MEETING WITH GRANT SHAPPS TO DISCUSS INVOLVEMENT AND TIMING OF GOVERNMENT’S OX-CAM EXPRESSWAY ‘PRIORITY REVIEW’
The leading campaign group opposing the construction of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and associated one million new homes – the ‘No Expressway Group’ (NEG) - has today written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, demanding an urgent meeting to discuss his proposed ‘review’ into the road, NEG’s request to be part of any such review and that the review itself should be extended to include the one million houses target to 2050.
NEG is requesting this meeting because the only response to two letters, dated 22nd November and 4th December, to speaking with Grant Shapps’ constituency office, and to this matter being raised by them directly with his Chief of Staff, Nicholas Langley, on 29th November, has been to ask NEG to get back in touch yet again after the General Election.
NEG spokesperson Olivia Field said ‘this is a matter of great concern to the communities all along the Oxford to Cambridge Arc, made worse by the huge uncertainty that both the delays in consultation and the pledge to review have created. Some people are concerned that a review could be a whitewash, as was the case for the HS2 review. Others are confused by some of the Conservative party candidates during the recent election period who said the expressway was ‘effectively cancelled’ but that this couldn’t be announced because of purdah. People need clarity of when any ‘review’ might happen, of what the approach of the review will be, of who will be involved and whether or not they will be represented by NEG in this process.’
Ms Field continued, ‘having still had no contact, other than to ask us to make contact again, we must now meet with Grant Shapps as a matter of urgency, to ensure he really understands the issues and concerns involved, to agree how NEG will be involved in any Ox-Cam Expressway review and to understand the timescale of future events.’
NEG is continuing to urge people not to see the Government’s announcement as ‘game over’. It’s not. It’s vital that as many local people as possible make their voices heard by supporting NEG at www.noexpressway.org where they can sign a petition to demand the Government abandons plans for the Ox-Can Expressway and associated over inflated housing targets.
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For further information please contact the press office on
Melissa Wright
07811 167190
Letter to Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
The Oxford to Cambridge Expressway scheme is based on the idea of opening-up the countryside for development, including an aspirational target of one million new houses by 2050. The National Infrastructure Commission’s 5th Studio Report shows a split by both region and type of housing across the Arc. The target includes ‘unlocked’ homes enabled by the Expressway, London commuter homes and those in Local Authority plans. We agree more housing is needed, but not >100% growth in Oxon & 65% growth in affected areas of Bucks by 2050 (compared with the 16% predicted for the nation as a whole, by the Office of National Statistics). All those homes need infrastructure: schools, clinics, hospitals, water and electricity supplies, waste and sewage disposal etc. For example, one form entry primary school is required for every 800 new houses. That’s 1,250 such schools across the Arc for those one million new houses by 2050. Developers make only minimal contributions to the real cost of infrastructure, which is ultimately borne by the Government, i.e. ultimately by tax- and rate-payers.
England has destroyed 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s and more ancient woodlands in the forty years after WWII than in the previous 400 years. How much more destruction can our environment take without catastrophic declines in our life support systems?
About:
The NO EXPRESSWAY GROUP believes that there is NO need for an Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, nor the over-inflated housing targets associated with it, and we will actively campaign against it and support the many other organisations with the same objectives.
Our environment is a national asset which should be protected for all us, our health and well-being. This is a national and not just a local issue and we will continue to strive to educate people about the threats to our countryside posed by the planned Expressway and its associated housing and development. We will fight to protect our countryside and its wildlife for the health and enjoyment of all future generations.