Singing from the same hymn sheet but badly out of tune
April 27th, 2007 by admin
Everyone who showed their support by signing our Downing Street Petition will now have seen the response. The usual discredited, fallacious and factually incorrect arguments from the PR machine, cut and pasted, with no attempt to address the criticisms we have repeatedly made. Most of their statements were already challenged in the ‘Location and why it can stay’ section.
Like the Bellman in Lewis Carroll’s ‘Hunting of the Snark’, there is clearly a firm belief in the old political principle that if you repeat something often enough it becomes true:
“‘Tis the note of the Jubjub! Keep count, I entreat;
You will find I have told it you twice.
‘Tis the song of the Jubjub! The proof is complete,
If only I’ve stated it thrice.”
Combine this with the SNAFU principle of a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality – no MP or local councillor has ever visited the allotments to see for themselves what is going on.
For comparison we also have an example of a response to a complaint letter sent to Mayor Ken Livingstone at mayor@london.gov.uk at the beginning of March. It would be interesting to know whether everyone who has written to the authorities and mentions the allotments gets the same dismissive boilerplate response:
| Downing Street Petition response: | Mayor’s response to an email asking why the LDA won’t allow filming in meetings with allotment holders: |
| The Government is aware that this is a very sensitive issue and the decision to relocate the allotments was not one that was taken lightly. However, it is necessary for the allotments to be relocated if London is to deliver the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the long-term plan for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley.
The current site of the Manor Garden allotments is in the heart of the Olympic Park and ground levels at the allotment site will need to change by up to 6 metres. These level changes will form part of the flood risk management of the Lower Lea Valley and create a natural area of reed beds and wildlife habitat. The area the allotments occupy will also be in the middle of what will be a huge construction site for the next few years and it would therefore not be possible for the allotment holders to continue their activities in this environment. It would also not be possible for the allotment holders to have access to the site because it needs to be completely secure. The space currently occupied by the allotments will form part of a circulation and access area during the 2012 Games. This area is vital for the movement, safety and security of the public during the Games. After the Games it will be one of the key connections in the area, acting as part of the link between the green spaces of the Lea Valley Regional Park, Hackney Marsh and the Olympic Park. Following the 2012 Games there is a commitment to reinstate at least the same number of allotments within the Legacy Park and all current Manor Garden allotment holders will be offered one of these new allotments. In the meantime the London Development Agency (LDA), which is responsible for assembling the land for the Olympic Park, is working with the allotment holders to try to relocate the Manor Garden society for the period running up to the Games. To achieve this, the LDA has submitted a planning application that, if approved, will allow the creation of new allotments within 1 mile of the existing site. |
The decision to relocate the allotments was not one that was taken lightly. However, it is necessary for them to be relocated as part of the long-term plan for the regeneration of the Olympic Park area and the wider regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley. The area they now occupy will act as one of the main access routes during the Games and will be used by up to 200,000 people per day. This access route will not just be used for the period of the Games but will be a key link between the existing green spaces of the Lower Lea Valley and the post Games Legacy development. The site itself will be in the middle of a huge construction site for the next few years. It would not be possible for the allotment holders to continue their activities in this environment. It would also not be possible for the allotment holders to have access to the site because it needs to be completely secured. The London Borough of Waltham Forest rejected the original planning application to relocate the allotments and the LDA have now appealed against that decision. The LDA recently submitted an amended proposal on 16th March, taking into account the decision of Waltham Forest, and their officers are meeting with the Allotments Management Committee to discuss how best they can support this submission. Following the Games there is a Mayoral commitment to re-instate and provide an increased number of allotments within the Legacy Olympic Park. I understand from the LDA that they are in ongoing dialogue with the allotment holders and meet with them on a regular basis. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will be taking this consultation forward regarding provision of allotments following the 2012 Games. All current Manor Garden allotment holders will be offered one of the new allotments inside what will be the largest city park created in Europe for over 150 years. |