(Updated 8 June): The upcoming inquiry into developer Centros‘ controversial development plans for Lancaster’s Canal Corridor seems to be skewing in favour of the Council and the planners, even before it opens on 16th June.
Local campaign group Its Our City has been working very hard to prepare formal evidence for this Inquiry and to turn up and give it. Gathering evidence in support of their opposition – which includes concerns over traffic and transport, retail impact, tourism and more – has proven demanding because IOC witnesses will be cross-examined by a barrister whose job (paid for by local taxpayers) will be to try to undermine it.
Now, the group has been informed that the Inspector has decided to put IOC on last – effectively squeezing them for time and to giving them a maximum of one day for all this evidence.
“This is not enough and shows a lack of respect for the views of IOC and for the complexity of the subject matter presented by IOC witnesses,” said a spokesperson. “We need two days and we asked for this at a meeting with the Inspector on 20th April.
“Our case will be damaged by this 50 per cent cut in the time we asked for and all we ask is a reasonable amount of time to get our points over.”
In addition the Inspector has said that the City Council needs more time to present its case in support of the development. Clearly, the balance is already shifting in favour of helping those who want the development and hindering those who have a much clearer view of what will benefit all sections of the community.
Here at virtual-lancaster, we’ve tried to be even-handed about the plans for the Canal Corridor. We’ve presented links to the Centros web site and published its responses to news stories, although, we’ll admit, our view is that this development is not what Lancaster needs and ignores the Council’s own research when it comes to reinvigroating the City Centre and the impact the Centors development would have on retailers in Morecambe, as well as elsewere in the city.
In our view, the Council, as a development partner in the proposed plans, is effectively presenting the case for a developer who cannot even be bothered to turn up for proceedings (see Council and Centros joint statement), at a huge cost to local taxpeyers we can ill afford and now the system is working in its favour to put those plans in an even more favourable light.
It has allocated £50,000 to fight the public inquiry on the side of the developer, which has been condemned by the Green Party (see news story).
Centros decided not to take part in this Inquiry and yet it looks like, without even being part of it, its plans will have more exposure than the arguments against it. This is unfair, unjust and merely emphasizes how little those pushing these plans really care about the community it’s trying to foist them on.
• Update, 8 June: The Planning Inspectorate has responded to the concerns raised by Its Our City – see news story
• If you agree that this is unfair, you need to write to Mark Southgate, Director of Casework, The Planning Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6PN and very politely but firmly ask him to allocate the two day IOC needs.
Links
• It’s Our City Campaign Site
• Centros’ Castle View Development Site
• Council Regeneration Strategy documents on the council web site (PDF files)