This in from Julia Hill, Luisa Hillard, Judy Ferris and John Luckett – all candidates in the forthcoming local election. Ed
The Medina Valley Independent Candidates for the County Council elections have come forward, united, to voice their objections to the proposed asphalt plant on the West Cowes side of the Medina at Medina Wharf.
Luisa Hillard of East Cowes, Judy Ferris of Cowes South and Northwood, Julia Hill of Whippingham and Osborne and John Luckett of Newport North come together to speak out against application.
Concerns raised at parish council meetings
Judy Ferris, a resident of Cowes and a Northwood Parish Councillor, was one of the first to raise concerns and object officially at Parish Council Meetings. The proposed plant would be in Northwood Parish and the many concerns of Northwood residents have been recorded by the Parish Council since the original application and, most recently, in the Parish Plan Survey.
While Julia Hill of Whippingham and Osborne has been a key figure in the Wight Residents against Asphalt Plant (WRAP) campaign over the last twelve months.
Hillard: “The wrong place for this kind of heavy industry”
Luisa Hillard, Candidate for East Cowes said “I have all been following this application very closely for the last year and feel it is the wrong place for this kind of heavy industry. The open nature of the site and its proximity to homes causes us very real concern and as yet prolonged attempts by the company to make their case right have resulted in further problems with the site being uncovered, such as the asbestos contamination of the land.”
Framework for change
While the Island Independent candidates all feel the Islands roads are in desperate need of upgrading they will be looking at the intricacies of the PFI in their proposed “root and branch review” of Council services should the Independents achieve a majority in the election on May 2nd.
Their framework for change states: Concerns need to be addressed to ensure no residents are adversely impacted and that the environment is protected for this and future generations. The Island Independents undertake to meet with the contractors to examine their ability to fulfil their contractual commitments without the requirement of their own Asphalt Plant, as the current regime insists.
Luckett: Public deserve answers
John Luckett, Candidate for Newport North says “It is important that the public are given answers as to how the PFI contract got so far with a company that didn’t have the provision for asphalt here on the Island and that appropriate provision is made so that the work on our roads can get under way.
“We will undertake this review in line with our vision for the future of the Council, with transparency and openness, in the spirit of the Bell Principles that the truly independent candidates stand by.”
