Press Release - 01 Mar
2006
Robert Fisher writes
to Cllr Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council
Dear Councillor Hill
AN OPEN LETTER
AND PERSONAL PLEA
TO THE LEADER OF LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
I write, having spent the last 15 months campaigning for a
Bypass for Boston.
I consider myself to be an honest, hard working Bostonian,
who joined the campaign with the sole reason of preventing another
John Adams Way from being constructed in Boston, dividing the
town in half – guised as the Southern Link Road and Dock
Link Road – adding to the traffic congestion.
We desperately need a bypass.
I’ve witnessed and documented the events of the last
15 months with interest. I believe that your recent MORI commissioned
campaign which stated, “You talk, we listen”, has
fallen at the first hurdle – the overwhelming response
that the people “talked” about (the need for a Boston
Bypass) was not only ignored by you, but has since been attempted
to prove otherwise in your own publication – County News.
The people of Waddington do not want their village to be divided
in half by the Lincoln Southern Bypass. Why won’t you
listen to them?
Remember that I attended the infamous meeting with the Leaders
of both Boston Borough and Lincolnshire County Councils –
I witnessed your sole objection to my colleague Michael Borrill
from chairing our own meeting!
Flashback to September 2005 |
How different our meeting with Mark Simmonds MP was.
I chaired that meeting, and Mr Simmonds was able to
get across his own input to the meeting, in a determined
and honest way, without the need to insist on chairing
the meeting and stopping any discussions that he did
not want to listen to.
Photo: Mark Simmonds MP and Robert Fisher in 2005
|
Indeed, the pressure group that I used to belong to wrote to
you on 7 April 2005, stating that:
“A huge opportunity is being missed here! If the Southern
Link Road was built 1 mile further out from its present site,
it could form the first part of the Bypass, which when extended
and completed would negate the need for the Dock Link Road.
Surely this makes more economic sense and would satisfy the
aspirations of everyone.”
and that:
“We also require that the 2005 Local Transport Plan has
the inclusion of a major road scheme for Boston.”
I can also vouch for the fact that the movement of the SLR
1 mile out was also mentioned to you at the aforementioned meeting,
which at the time, appeared to get your interest, resulting
in your asking us if we would be happy with moving it 1 mile
out. “Yes” was the resounding reply!
You can therefore appreciate my frustration upon hearing that
the SLR is “simply unaffordable”.
It seems that Lincolnshire County Council is determined not
to give Boston a bypass and that you will go to any lengths
to avoid this. The BBEG have just attended the Full Council
Meeting at Boston Borough Council and it would also seem that
the latest ploy by LCC/BBC is to attempt to state that I do
not know what I am talking about. I refer to the recent letter
by Elaine Turner and Cllr Dobson’s comments at the Council
meeting:
Elaine Turner: “I think that there may be some confusion
…”
Cllr Dobson: “Mr. Fisher's understanding of the planning
application process is not quite correct I'm afraid.”
Make no mistake, Councillor Hill, if there’s a problem
that needs fixing and all that is given is excuse after excuse,
I will shout loudly and draw attention to this fact. That’s
the reason I felt compelled to do something about preventing
a repeat of John Adams Way in the first place.
You might think that delaying the issue by instigating traffic
surveys, quoting Government statistics and policies for example,
will bide you time. I’m afraid that doesn’t wash
with me. What’s the point of traffic surveys, MORI polls,
etc., and also stating that the Government is to blame, when
all the time, as I see it, the simple fact is that Lincolnshire
County Council wants the money allocated for Lincoln? What has
happened to the allocated rate payers’ money that was
going towards the Southern Link Road?
Why do you refuse to ask the Government for funding for a bypass
for Boston? The Government, quite rightly, claim that no funding
has been requested by Lincolnshire County Council. What have
you got to lose by requesting the funding – I guess it’s
the possible loss of the Lincoln bypasses?
So, Councillor Hill, as I stated at the beginning of this letter,
a personal plea – and that is honesty. I challenge you
to include a bypass for Boston in the 2nd Local Transport Plan
and request the funding from Government.
As was stated in November 2004 – enough is enough.
I hope this letter does not fall on deaf ears.
Yours sincerely
ROBERT FISHER
Boston Bypass & Economic Growth Pressure Group (BBEG)
www.bbeg.org.uk
01 March 2006
Click here
to read Martin Hill's reply dated 22 March 2006
