Vote blue, go green, feel sick

Written by Lynne Beaumont on Thu 4th Mar 2010

Last night, by 27 votes to 12, Shepway District Council gave Lydd Airport (LAA) the go ahead to expansion plans, against expert advice from its own advisers, officers, Natural England, the RSPB and others.

How much of tax payers money has been wasted this time?

Shepway employed experts to give councillors information before they made a decision on the future of Romney Marsh in respect of the expansion of London Ashford Airport. This was argued with, ignored, chopped to pieces, and voted against.

Because councillors voted against this recommendation, and voted against the findings of Natural England, the officers at Shepway District Council will be contacted the Government of the South East, asking them to call it in for public enquiry.

For many years now, the Conservatives have hidden behind the view that there should be a public enquiry, and this is what they have said to people. They gave their sympathy to people who are going to be affected. People didn't want their sympathy, they wanted their councillors support.

In a referendum, held by Shepway District Council, 75% of residents of New Romney said NO to expansion, and 55% of residents who live on New Romney Coast and Lydd said NO.

Yes, we need jobs, and green tourism is the way forward for Romney Marsh, spreading right across the 100 square miles of Romney Marsh, which will provide jobs, and money for the local economy, without destroying the most beautiful, and scientifically important part of our area.

Could you imagine an airport being given permission is areas like North Norfolk or the Yorkshire Dales? No.

David Cameron, only 4 days ago said in his speech to the Conservative conference, and I quote:

"It was you (conservative activists and councillors), who campaigned at local election after local election, under the slogan Vote blue, go green, that have demonstrated our councils are the greenest and the best in Britain, and that we are the new environmental party in Britain, and you should be proud of that.."

The Conservatives who voted for Airport expansion last night in Shepway obviously didn't listen to their leader. They have proved once again that they don't care about our environment, and they do what they want to do in Shepway.

Local residents turned out in their thousands to tell their councillors how they felt about this expansion, and this has been totally ignored. There will no doubt be a public enquiry into this fiasco, and how much is this going to cost the tax payers?

Vote blue, go green, feel sick.