| Dear <<First Name>> <<Last Name>> (<<Ward>>),
Firstly we’d like to thank you all for your patience in dealing with the volume of complaints that came in as a result of the parking tax. We are fully aware of the number of emails that were sent, and we hope it helps to highlight the depth of feeling surrounding this issue.
As you are no doubt aware we are presenting to the scrutiny committee on the 31st March, 7pm at Westminster City Hall. We would be delighted to see as many of you as can make it, as it should be an interesting evening.
We are holding our own weekly meetings until that point to discuss any issues that arise between now and then, and should any of you have any questions for us as a committee please do feel free to email us.
The No To Bike Parking Fees campaign has from day one been trying to find an open, public forum with Cllr Chalkley to discuss this issue and hopefully you will be able to see for the first time IN PUBLIC the clarity of our arguments when put against those of Cllr. Chalkley, and the scale of opposition from those outside the building on the day.
You as his fellow councillors will also no doubt be aware of the requirements for consultation and due process when it comes to something like this. Repeatedly we have seen the shuffling of feet and the changing of reasons, figures, statements, the retraction of official notices on Westminster’s own website when it was shown that BMF and MAG had NOT been consulted properly, (we do have a copy of both versions should you wish to make a comparison) when it was shown that the notices telling people how to object had only been put up to the LETTER of the law, and not in any shape or form the SPIRIT of the law. We could go on, and of course on the 31st, we probably will!
In addition, in the past 48 hours a press release was sent out defining us in broad strokes as ‘rogue’ and ‘militant’, ‘aggressive’ and ‘harassing’, ‘hardcore’, and running a ‘hate’ campaign.
Even by the most open minded of people this is clearly scaremongering, verging on libellous, and it has always been clear that we as a committee are not, and never have been, responsible for the actions of individual people who participate on the website unfettered by initial censorship on our part, and in addition we have always rectified anything on our website that is potentially damaging – by way of example, a telephone call was recorded at one point by a member who posted it on the forum. We were alerted, we took it down. Simple.
A press release such as this is in danger of linking us as a committee to individuals who may not even have any direct contact with us, and actions we may never have had any awareness of, and is a worrying step towards malicious briefing of the press.
Councillors such as Cllr. Chalkley, on the other hand, have responsibilities laid down in law – to follow due process, to be honest, to consult in a meaningful fashion, and – we believe – to behave in such a way that doesn’t denigrate his and your offices.
The shifty attitude from these councillors – the press release is yet another example of game playing and playing politics – has led to a genuine perception that money is all that matters to them, and that Cllrs. Chalkley and Barrow in particular want to hold on to this scheme to save themselves face, despite the damage and irritation it may cause the rest of you. Voters in general, and Tory voters in particular, are taking notice of this, as are Tory MP’s, and even the Mayor of London. Does Westminster really want such a money grabbing and greedy reputation?
We as a committee are not going anywhere, but at the same time we are not and never have been the torch wielding, hut burning, anarchic nutcases Cllr. Chalkley would have us portrayed as. We have always been polite, always open to, as Cllr. Chalkley puts it, ‘constructive debate’ (in his speak, that appears to be that whatever he says goes!) on this issue. It never should have got to this point, and the whole scheme, as we have always said from day one, should have been dropped long ago.
Thank you again for your time and we hope to see as many of you as possible on the 31st March, 7pm for what is looking to be a very interesting demonstration of local democracy in action!
Best regards,
The Committee. |
