In December 2007 there were some 57 possible locations for eco-towns across England that had been proposed by various organisations, including the Co-operative Group's Pennbury, south-east of Leicester. The 19 months that followed saw many highs and lows as campaigners across the country struggled to understand the Government's procedures and fought ferociously for their communities.
The initial setting up of a campaign committee grew into the Campaign Against the Stoughton Co-op Eco-Town (CASCET) as residents and councillors from villages around the proposed Pennbury eco-town voiced their concerns. I was very fortunate to be elected chairman of the campaign, but ultimately the power of the campaign came from the tremendous input from the CASCET Committee and the hundreds of people who wrote letters, demonstrated outside Co-op stores and parliament, and supported us throughout. Simon Galton (LibDem) and I (Concervative) put our collective experience together and managed to bring together a fantastic team of helpers and supporters to ultimately defend the Stoughton Estate from the Co-operative plans for the 15,000 house development. This would have seen the end of Leicestershire Aero Club on the Stoughton Airport site, the destruction of the environment with many species of flora and fauna at risk, desecration of the intense heritage of this area, and the likely mess caused by a tram service through Oadby and down London Road into Leicester.
The main objections were that the location was unsustainable from transport and employment viewpoints. The Co-op felt all along that being an eco-town they were not willing to construct any major new roads, save those within the development. This meant that any idea of a new link route south of Leicester to the M1 was never contemplated by the Co-op. Another enhancement to the road system by improving eastern distributor roads was also abandoned. Instead the Co-op relied on a few Leicester City Labour councillors (principally Ross Willmott and Patrick Kitterick) supporting a proposal for a tram scheme from Pennbury into Leicester. The likely cost to the taxpayer would have been hundreds of millions of pounds. This might have improved commuter travel for some from Pennbury, but the effect on congestion of routes into Leicester could have been catastrophic. It also did not answer the objections about employment. How were materials going to be brought into Pennbury, and goods and services get out?
Between January 2008 and August 2009 many organisations objected to the development including the majority of Leicester Chamber of Commerce members who responded to a questionnaire, Leicestershire County Council (a scrutiny panel looked in depth into the whole scheme) and the CPRE. Although Leicester City Council voted to support the eco-town proposals subject to 5 conditions being met, this was only by members of the ruling Labour group; the Conservatives, LibDems and Green groups did not agree. Oadby & Wigtson Borough and Harborough District Councils did not vote on the proposed eco-town because both could have been involved as planning authorities if the scheme was short-listed by the Government. Individual Borough and District councillors spoke out against the Co-op proposals - thereby fettering their discretion should any formal vote take place.
The 16th July 2009 was a red letter day, as not only did members of CASCET deliver almost 15,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street, but Rt Hon John Healey MP (Minister of Housing in the Labour Government) also announced the final four locations selected to be eco-towns - Pennbury, the Co-op's proposed site south-east of Leicester on their Stoughton Estate, was not included on the list.
I hope, one day, to spend some time contemplating the CASCET campaign in the context of the Labour Government's eco-town programme, and that might be the time to fully describe the campaign for posterity, even though it might interest very few.
I hope, one day, to spend some time contemplating the CASCET campaign in the context of the Labour Government's eco-town programme, and that might be the time to fully describe the campaign for posterity, even though it might interest very few.
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