Chelmer Waterside can be a great new development AND keep High Bridge Road (Chelmsford Liberal Democrats)

Chelmer Waterside can be a great new development AND keep High Bridge Road

May 12, 2008 2:22 PM

Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruern in Northamptonshire. The Liberal Democrats have restated their backing for a mixed-use development on Chelmer Waterside that takes account of residents concerns and environmental issues. They support demolishing the old gasworks and developing the area as a retail, leisure and residential destination, but they have attacked what the council is now proposing because it will cram too much development and traffic into one space.

Lib Dem Cllr Graham Pooley played a key role on the council in 1999-2003 in developing this vision and making it into council policy. He has written to the Essex Chronicle explaining the Lib Dem position on why it is right to keep High Bridge Road and attacking the Conservative council for dumping council policy that had had cross-party support in 2002.

Said Cllr Pooley, "The Liberal Democrat position was fully described in a series of "masterplans", put out for consultation and adopted by the Council in 2002. As I recall, that was without Tory opposition. Sadly, the Conservatives have now shown their true colours. Their plans threaten more and more development, and traffic gridlock, at the expense of Chelmsford's natural environment and leisure opportunities.

The Liberal Democrats continue to oppose the demolition of High Bridge Road. We argue for a routing of traffic and an amount of development that would respect and enhance the unique character of our rivers, the canal, and the water meadows. But the Conservatives currently running the local Councils seem to be putting greater emphasis on meeting the wishes of the would-be developer and landowner.

We need a built environment that respects those things. Liberal Democrats will continue to seek a balanced way forward. We continue to favour the best use of the town's remaining under-used opportunity sites such as the Gas Works site and the Canal Peninsular. We might have been further forward with that had everything not been thrown back into the melting pot by the Conservatives in 2003. Now we face the prospect of increasing cramming and disregard of the public's views."

Graham Pooley

Councillor for Marconi Ward

Chelmsford Borough Council