Dear Sir Edward and Mr Goldsmith

I am writing to you in your capacity as the two MPs for Kingston Borough. I would like to request that you take some urgent actions:

1. That you make a statement to the Examination in Public on The London Plan that the process of designating Kingston as an Opportunity Area be stopped immediately

2. That you use your influence to ensure that, if the council were to consider requesting the GLA to designate the Borough as an Opportunity Area in the future, it would do so following public law and NPPF consultation guidelines and other policy and statututory processes and show clearly that residents' opinions have influenced final plans

3. That you support my call for a people's vote by Kingston's residents on whether we want Kingston to become an Opportunity Area, and for such a vote to be based on a sound evidence base on what the Opportunity Area would entail, and how it would conform with local, regional and national policy

You may be interested to see my petition here: http://bit.ly/KingstonOA

CONTEXT

As you both know, I have been concerned about the way in which decisions are being made at Kingston council for a number of years. I am now writing to you regarding the proposal to designate the Borough as an Opportunity Area in the New London Plan.

I believe that the Opportunity Area designation is unsound for a number of reasons, including the complete lack of proper consultation or of evidence based decision making.

There is one critical reason that I believe you, as our MPs, should be aware and which alone should mean that the designation of the Borough as an Opportunity Area should immediately be withdrawn.

The facts are straightforward.

The Direction of Travel was taken to the GLA for approval before expiration of the council call-in period, thus depriving residents of their legal right to challenge the decision to approve the strategy.

The Direction of Travel was approved by the council committee on 13 October 2016, a Thursday. It was subject to call in until 9 November 2016, but it was approved by the GLA on Monday 17 October 2016, on only the second business day following approval by the council. It should not and cannot form the basis of designating Kingston as an Opportunity Area in the new London Plan.

The Growth committee vote to approve the Direction of Travel was not unanimous - indeed not one LibDem councillor supported the recommendation - and there was much disagreement with the proposals from the public. The Direction of Travel is being used by the GLA as the basis of proposing that Kingston is designated as an Opportunity Area. In the knowledge that it is unsound, the proposal should be withdrawn and residents be given the opportunity of having proper democratic involvement, as laid down in the Council's constitution, in decisions about the size, shape and form of future development in the Borough.

I rely on you both to put your political interests aside at this critical time for the Borough and the wider area - the Opportunity Area will have a massive impact on the Arcadian Thames and The Royal Parks - and to take the actions that I have listed above.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Scott