People Power

Cabinet papers available to all on the internet indicate that the proposal for the Arbeia Fort development will in all probability not go ahead. The actual wording in the report states:

“that the proposed development of Arbeia dopes not precede until a suitable site is found and further consultation takes place”

Yesterdays Gazette covered the issue and quoted Councillor John Wood (Beacon and Bents Ward – the forts area) as saying;

“Myself and my fellow ward councillors supported the residents on this. Our view was it was ill-conceived and a no-go from the start”.

However, contrast this to a leaflet which has been delivered to house holds in the Ward by Ahmed Khan, Independent candidate for the ward at the next local elections.

“Sorry Councillor Wood but you are talking total and utter nonsense! I’m afraid that yet again you are spinning the truth to suit your own ends probably out of desperation to cling on to your seat in May. More importantly you are treating local people with utter contempt and to put it bluntly lying through your back teeth.”

Oh dear, Councillor Wood, that’s a pretty damning accusation! Do we have another instance of a Labour Party councillor stretching the truth? On the evidence it appears that we do. It was that age old protest of “people power” that led to the project being cancelled, not the activities of a certain group of councillors who had they not been faced with a grass roots campaign, would have let the matter go through on the “nod”.