Lib Dems Attack Negative Spin In Town Centre Debate
November 19, 2004 2:00 PM
John Whitehouse
Kenilworth Lib Dem Chairman John Whitehouse has attacked the negative spin by local media in their coverage of the redevelopment plans for Kenilworth town centre.
Writing in this week's Kenilworth Weekly News, John said:
"I agree with Simon Lawton's criticism of the Weekly News, for putting such a negative spin on its coverage of town centre redevelopment plans (your front page article this week).
No one is expecting you suddenly to become a cheerleader for the developers, but some sense of balance would be a welcome change.
Your leader column asks, 'If the Talisman Square plans are good news for the town, why doesn't everyone feel good about it?' The self-evident answer is - because not everyone does, nor ever will about any plan involving major change. A very vocal minority is making its strong opposition known, as of course is its right.
Most people are fed up of waiting for change!
But what about the views of the 'silent majority', who support both the redevelopment of the Square and the new supermarket, as evidenced by the public consultation exercise and two opinion polls? Don't you care about them ?
The statements and actions of some of our town councillors over the last couple of weeks make one despair. I can understand any mounting frustration and impatience on the part of potential developers, who must be wondering what they have to do to get some of our elected representatives to think positively for a change.
Now, after many months of silence on this subject, we even have Andy King M.P. jumping in with a very ill judged intervention in my view - one he may well come to regret.
As for your page 5 picture article, 'naming and shaming' the guilty councillors on the Planning Committee who voted to pass the plans, words almost fail me! These people do a difficult and onerous job on behalf of the local community, taking decisions on a non-party basis using their best judgement and the professional advice of planning officers. I used to be a strong supporter of devolved local planning at town level, but recent experience suggests that this might be a recipe for disaster.
I just hope that the developers continue to believe in Kenilworth as a good investment opportunity, that they continue working with the District Council on the revised plans to move the supermarket further away from Bertie Road, and that by early in the New Year at the latest we can have some certainty that town centre redevelopment is finally going to happen - after so many years of frustration and disappointment."
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