The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
National Planning Casework Unit
5 St. Philips Place
Colmore Row
Birmingham B3 2PW
15 th October 2018
Dear James Brokenshire,
Re: Your Walk along Cray Meadows in Bexley To View Five Arches Bridge / Request for a Meeting.
I write to you with reference to you regarding requesting a meeting as you are my decision maker for my petition.
I commented on your Facebook post “ Have struggled with a stinking cold for the last few days, but nothing better to blow the cobwebs away than a short walk on a warm afternoon to view the Five Arches Bridge across the Cray Meadows in Beautiful Bexley.” I know it well stunning as I used to live in Chislehurst and my eldest daughter and grandchildren still live in Orpington and l have done many rambles in the same beautiful place. I hope your cold is better
How would you feel if you were unable to walk along Cray Meadows anymore because Bexley Council decided against the wishes of the electorate to place two concrete monoliths there completely destroying the ambience and views, told you that it would cut down 80 trees, change the landscape, have over 5 years of soil spoilage, put an underground car park under the meadows, concrete square on one part of it and then say they are improving it? I doubt if you would be impressed. In fact you would probably be opposed to it like I would.
Therefore that’s why I need to meet you and discuss this petition. My petition I’m just an ordinary grandmother trying to protect something for her grandchildren.
This is a stunning grade ll listed park where l currently live in Royal Tunbridge Wells many couples like myself use to have their wedding photos. It is historical in the fact that Queen Victoria stayed in the Hotel Du Vin overlooking the park many times and would walk through the park. In fact she could view the park from where she stayed as a princess with her mother.
The issue is that the council are building a new civic centre and theatre on the park is not only is destroying beautiful oasis in the centre of town especially in a town where traffic congestion is a problem, so air quality and air pollution has to be measured but there is a brownfield site that has been vacant for over 18 years waiting for development that has been left due to Tunbridge Wells Council continuous mismanagement and debacle of government development policy.
This said theatre and and civic centre is at present set to cost £90 million however the business reports from Bonner and Kelsey show that subsidiaries for said theatre have to be in excess of £350k per annum to make it succeed and to make the theatre viable it has to sell all 1200 seats every night for each of the 12 months with a ticket average price of £30.
Even Conservative councillors have admitted the project will be a loss making theatre. But state to do nothing will kill our dying town yet don’t realise that doing the wrong thing won’t save it either. As we head into uncertainty and a possible no deal Brexit with the possibility of a uncertain economic future Tunbridge Wells Borough Council cannot see further than their nose and that they will not listen to anyone especially not the electorate. We are classed as ‘ NIMBYS’ even though most of us would need a bloody long back garden to be NIMBY’s.
This project has completely united all opposition parties against the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council . Labour are opposed to this. Liberal Democrat’s are opposed to this.Even some Conservatives are against it! In fact at the last local election 64% of the electorate were opposed to the Conservatives because of this. If another party hadn’t decided at the last minute to become a political party rather than a pressure group which is what they had been then there may been more chance of removing some of those Conservative politicians who are hell bent on destroying the park and help save the park instead of splitting the vote. It is to be noted that the chair of that party was a previous council leader.
With regards to the finances it’s interesting also that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council auditor is Grant Thornton the very same company that’s just been fined for gross misconduct and has a history of being fined for misconduct. And there were already concerns prior to this news concerning the audit. Now it’s made the electorate even more suspicious especially since there was also a judicial review that got dismissed without hearing and the judge on the case of that hearing was David Elvin QC who is a member of the same Chambers (Landmark Chambers ) of the same barrister who was representing Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Robert Walton. Conflict of interest? How would this sit with the Law Society?
On top of that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council did a survey of its residents in 2015 asking them if they would pay an extra £10 per week in their council tax for a new theatre. 55% said no and 32% said yes. Therefore Tunbridge Wells Borough Council did not have the mandate from the electorate to go ahead with this scheme.
This scheme has had reports from from Tunbridge Wells Borough civic society that the park is in a conservation area and from documents from the civic society there are trees with preservation orders. Also older generation residents will tell you that many trees in the park were planted to represent world war l war dead and as it’s the centenary of the First World War to cut down trees planted in commemoration of war hero’s is totally despicable.
There are other issues here!
The park is used regularly for lots of events such as the outdoor ice rink, the Melia, local and live music festival which brings thousands of people into Tunbridge Wells and brings local people together plus local businesses enjoy this. It makes the park a community asset. Recently a new community funded and award playground was installed for children. For some children without gardens in the centre of Tunbridge Wells it’s the only play area they have. And once you start building on a park it sets a precedent. What happens if you need another bit of land in a few years time? Oh take another bit of the park until eventually there is no park left to take!
This park is a grade ll listed park. If you tried to destroy a grade ll listed building you would be fined. Why do the same rules not apply to a park? It’s vandalism by a corrupt and greedy council.
There are alternative plans by Dr. Philip Whitbourne who has studied the current civic centre for the last six years. I have included the plans on the petition link for your perusal.The majority of town favour those plans. It would still bring the desired effect to Tunbridge Wells, a fantastic theatre, modern offices, great location, more investment so therefore greater footfall but it won’t destroy a park. The infrastructure is already in place.
Therefore the council won’t need the 64 Compulsory purchase orders needed for access to the park which are also threatening to destroy Hoopers and other businesses in the town including the BBC. Over 300 people recently wrote to you as Secretary of State of Communities, of Housing and local Government to object to the Compulsory Purchase Orders in order to save the park, myself included stating all the reasons why. A planning inspector has been appointed. But yet is that enough?
You have pledged publicly to support the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday Campaign to Save Our Parks and that is exactly what we are doing.
There are at present three online petitions this is the current one is as follows:-
https://www.change.org/p/right-honourable-stop-the-funding-for-twbc-civic-centre-theatre-in-grade-2-listed-calverley-grounds-park?recruiter=91008502&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition
In total over 8,000 people have signed online petitions against this trying to save the park.
Aside from Tunbridge Wells Alliance there are other groups like a Facebook group called ‘ Say No- Anti Civic Centre and New Theatre and obviously Friends of Calverley Park which recently elected Tunbridge Wells Alliance Councillor Nick Pope was the former chairman of. It’s a real pity though that Tunbridge Wells Alliance didn’t stick with being a pressure group as the people have now found themselves without a place to go to share their frustration and anger whereas if the Tunbridge Wells Alliance had stayed as an pressure group all people from cross parties could have worked together.
I became an admin of say no - Anti civic centre and theatre group opposed to this because l want to save this park for my grandchildren who live in the town.
It’s their local park. I grew up a place where parks and places were valued in an inner London Borough. I came from Bermondsey a traditional industrial area nicknamed the leader of London which had a beautification Committee due to Alfred and Ada Salter is the early 20th century who proved that trees and parks led to better health, especially for children in deprived areas. You wouldn’t think of Tunbridge Wells as a deprived area but there is a huge divide in town between those that have and those that have not. Especially in the centre of town where many houses are two up and two down Victorian terraced Housing with tiny back yards instead of gardens. This are traditionally workers homes for the brickworks and railway and good station that were there and the back yard would have had them outside toilet in the past. So the families and children in these don’t have the gardens or the space so badly needed for their health, well being or place for them to play and exercise. And yet it’s these families who desperately need the park to stay as it is. As a park!
My granddaughter has asthma and she needs the oxygen and good air quality that the trees and the park provides. She lives in one of these tiny houses. She is trying to be a in a girls football team and needs somewhere to practice. She has a tiny back yard so also need the space and environment to be able to exercise and have fun with her siblings. She and her siblings needs her local park.
My husband is a Tunbridge Wells born and bred man with ancestors on the war memorials so if there is any truth to those stories from older generations about the trees being planted to commemorate war dead from World War One then his ancestors are being commemorated.
So l ask you if this was your family and your beautiful area what would you do? Would you like me fight to save what you think is beautiful and try to persuade your council of an alternative route especially when there are alternative routes on offer?
You see you are my last hope!
If I can’t talk to you and make you understand then not only my grandchildren have lost out but thousands of children because this park should be there for the future generations of children. It does make me wonder what Queen Victoria would have thought if she had known a place she enjoyed was going to be destroyed.
I saw your view posted on Facebook and I know it as I said I rambled there many times and know the green chain walk well also.
Now please look at the view I’m trying to save for my children, grandchildren and future generations
This view due to felling trees, soil spoil, re- landscaping will be lost forever. Once it’s gone it’s gone . It can never be replaced. Please help me to save it for future generations.
I also think no matter the reason it is morally wrong to build on a park or any green space and we must conserve all our green spaces for our future generations.
I look forward to hearing from you shortly with your reply.
Yours sincerely
Angela Funnell
Tunbridge Wells