UPDATE: February 3, 2020
Actions
PLEASE email Grant Shapps MP – to ask him to reconsider and to make time to meet with NEG to discuss his priority pledged review of the Ox-Cam Expressway. Wording and email address to be found attached
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What’s new (for full details)
NEG Press Release
Bethan Nimmo of BBC South interviewed Grant Shapps on the day he pledged to review of the Ox-Cam Expressway. She reported that ’s Grant Shapps said the Local Authorities told him that ‘they can still build those homes and that they don’t need a road blasting through the countryside to do that’.
NEG submitted Freedom of Information requests on this subject to 28 Local Authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT). The DfT and 17 of the 28 Local Authorities have responded to this request indicating that they have no record of any discussion or consultation, regarding the housing target, having taken place.
NEG has issued a press release regarding the apparent lack of contact
Bethan Nimmo’s report is here.
Government Expressway Review?
There’s still no word on whether a review is already underway, scheduled, who will be involved etc.
One of our supporters has now at least had a response to her letter to Grant Shapps. From a team within Department for Transport. It says very little
Have you emailed Grant Shapps yet, to ask him to reconsider and meet with NEG to discuss his “priority review”? The attached letter and email address makes it easier! Every email makes a difference!
Westminster Event
Preparations are well underway for our MP & Peers drop-in event in Westminster on 26th February. We also plan to deliver Cancel the Expressway petitions to 10 Downing Street
In the News
East West Rail “preferred route option” for the Bedford to Cambridge section has been announced. There is no news of whether the Government will reconsider electrification of the line
Further NEG activities
We continue awareness-raising with signs going up in Grendon Underwood and presentations completed in Cranfield (Beds) and for Dorton at Ashfold School (Bucks) and a further three more schedules in South East of Milton Keynes
One of the leading lights in our youth campaign, Ava from Brill School, did a great job in giving a talk and presentation about the Ox-Cam Expressway in assembly at Beckley School, inspiring yet another group of children to get involved in the campaign
What’s next
Driving petition sign ups on site
Preparing for Westminster event
Working to get meeting with Grant Shapps to discuss the review and NEG’s involvement
Continue working with the Stronger Together group and working on a programme of activities for schools
Upcoming Events
We urgently need your help.
Your donations are needed now, to help us run the campaign and pay for political consultants and other professional experts to bring this campaign to the attention of Westminster as well as local politicians.
No Expressway Group believes 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 other organisations with the same objectives.
Our environment is a national asset which is critical for everyone’s health and well-being. We must not let it be destroyed.
Your donations help us to spread information about the Expressway, run and build support for the campaign:
£10 could pay for one roadside Correx poster
£15 could pay for one roadside poster on a wooden stake
£20 could pay for one A1 printed colour poster for our pagoda display
£35 could pay for 250 A5 printed leaflets for the campaign
£70 could pay for one pole and two panels for our travelling pagoda display
£150 could pay for one feather flag for our travelling pagoda
£180 could pay to run this website for one year
£300 could pay for a 3 minutes of an Expressway Story
£500 could pay for a 5 minutes of an Expressway Story
A greater or other amount could contribute to the cost of professional support for our campaign in general and in preparation for Planning Inspectorate hearings
Please note:
The No Expressway Group has a group bank account to which the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are signatories. The group will publish accounts on noexpressway.org each year which will be audited by an accountant from outside the NEG group.
If any funds are left at the end of the campaign, these will be donated equally between RSPB and BBOWT.