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3 Counties Group 16 January, 2004 Letter to Editor/Viewpoint Dear Madam, ‘Tis Wonderful to hear our former Mayor, Edward Matthews, once again in full clarion cry! (See Courier, 15 January issue, “Toilets”, and “Cash Cuts”) He's shouting AGAINST MSDC cuts to EG budgets. And an important shout it is. These are matters of grave local concern—albeit that regarding Men's Toilets, Cllr Heasman does helpfully add that in days past it was expected that men would "go behind the hedge." Serious as these matters are, there is another local matter of very much greater importance. And Cllr Matthews knows well what it is. I speak of the threatened 2500+ houses proposed for EG. Briefly, Cllr Matthews has shouted in loud and unequivocal terms, NOT AGAINST these houses, but FOR them! What most residents would now like to know as we come up to yet another important Structure Plan juncture: Is he STILL shouting FOR these houses at EG? Lest memories may need refreshing, so a brief background. In 2001, Cllr Matthews, together with his fellow Town Councillors, opened wide the gates of EG and invited the developers in. Needless to say, the developers, hardly able to believe their luck, were delighted to oblige. Furthermore, Cllr Matthews, not a man known for his power of under-statement, cried out that he would be happy to see 5000 houses built here! Bliss! Such music to the developers' ears! On the basis of this generous and unbuttoned initiative, Cllr Matthews gained heroic status and wide renown amongst developers throughout the South-East. His action also greatly pleased WSCC, and indeed MSDC. Bravo! There was however the small matter of Cllr Matthews' constituents. In 1996 Cllr Matthews had shouted loudly AGAINST the houses. Residents could not therefore believe their ears. Was he now REALLY shouting FOR the houses? When his erstwhile supporters duly learned that he was indeed now shouting FOR these houses (and with little more than a gesture of local consultation on this vitally important matter) they were furious. Treachery! Betrayal! Letters to the Courier from aggrieved residents were red hot!... But hold! They would soon have a chance to vent their fury: The May 2003 Local Elections were fast approaching. And when duly these elections were held, vengeful residents in Cllr Matthews' old South Ward trooped to the Polls. They looked for his name on the ballot. But surprise, surprise! His name was not there! Where then was he standing? In fact the old South Ward had been broken up. And Cllr Matthews, engineering a strategic (and timely!) withdrawal, had parachuted into the "safe" seat of the new Town Ward next door! Thus it was that his enraged old "Valley Corridor" constituents were robbed of the chance to wreak vengeance on Cllr Matthews; to mete out the electoral justice they felt he so richly deserved. Instead they had to make do with his close associate, and long-standing manipulator of the EG houses scam, (now former Town Councillor) Andrew Brock. Lib-Dem TC Leader, Brock (who was unwise enough NOT to seek/accept a “safe seat” himself) received a savage beating at the Polls. Cllr Matthews duly secured election with the votes of 7.7% (246) of the Town Ward's 3185 electors. On the basis of this mandate he continues to express views on behalf of the Town at both TC and MSDC. Indeed, at MSDC level, Cllr Matthews is currently battling hard to retain the Chair of the North Area Planning Committee, the Committee which, presumably, will first consider any developer’s Application to build the proposed 2500+ houses at EG, should the initiative survive to (MSDC) Local Plan stage. Matthews (a Lib-Dem) was appointed to this post following the May election by the victorious Tory Group; a virtually unprecedented act, since the winning Party normally ensures that all Committee Chairs are occupied by its own Members. Why, one might ask, did the Tories select their opponent, Lib-Dem Matthews for the North Area Chair? And why, one might further ask, are they now having second thoughts? (MSDC Tories have expressed their intention of shutting down the North Area Ctte; and transferring its functions to a Central Committee at Haywards Heath. Matthews has issued a few clarion cries about this proposed MSDC Tory action too!) His Deputy Chairman, it might be added, is the robust, long-standing, pro-houses supporter Cllr Philip Coote. At the 28 November WSCC Chichester Meeting to approve Proposed Modifications to the proposed Structure Plan, Cllr Coote (also a WSCC Cllr) voted firmly in support of the proposal for 2500+ houses to be built at EG—an action his constituents in Imberdown Ward have noted, and will not soon forget. Enough said. And so, to repeat: is Cllr Matthews STILL shouting FOR 2500+ houses—indeed does he still favour 5000 houses—here at EG? ? Or has he perhaps now swung back AGAINST them? Residents of his old South Ward whom he cruelly betrayed; along with the 96.3% of Town voters who declared NO to this monster housing scam at the June Referendum, and whom he has chosen to ignore with imperious contempt; all have a right to know. We await another clarion cry from Cllr Matthews. Sincerely, M. Vickers On Behalf of 3CG |
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