Greasy Palms Lining trouser pockets

Letter to The Wanstead & Woodford Guardian and The Ilford Recorder

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Dear Sirs

I write with regard to the Redbridge Local Plan 2015-2030.

Am I alone in thinking that the entire consultation is seriously flawed?

In my view the whole exercise smacks of lazy and ill thought out housing provision planning. We have simply been offered four alternative sites, in four different areas of Redbridge, which in itself is highly divisive. On what grounds (if you’ll excuse the pun) were they chosen?

In the first place it appears that no audit has been carried out, to ascertain how many brownfield and windfall sites there are and in what locations these may be throughout the borough. Secondly it seems that no thought has been given to the infrastructure that will be needed in order to cater for the influx of extra residents that will be coming to Redbridge. Has anyone in the council considered the Health, Education and Transport provision required or, indeed, what leisure facilities will be available – especially as it looks as though yet more Green Belt will be giving way to bricks & mortar? Thirdly, even though the Mayor has set a target of 50% for new housing developments, it has been established that only 12.5% of the proposed homes will be affordable.

Furthermore, how much will Redbridge be paid by the developers of the borough’s prime Green Belt land? This will naturally have to be de-classified and, therefore, sold off for millions of pounds less than its actual worth. Taking all things into consideration, if I were a cynic, I would beg the question: Whose greasy palms are being crossed and trouser pockets lined, with the silver & gold from the public purse?

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gunstock

Green Party Prospective Candidate for Leyton & Wanstead