Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Press release from Cllr Mike Findley - 26th Sept 2006
On Saturday 7 October 2006 Cllr Mike Findley will be joining protestors against the housing development in the Coatham Enclosure on a March through Redcar to call for a public inquiry into the whole issue of the controversial plan for Coatham.
Cllr Findley said he was joining the march because he felt that a public inquiry into the whole issue was the only way to guarantee the full facts regarding the scheme being brought into the public domain.
He said “for too long now the council have been keeping things secret from the public regarding the Coatham development and feeding them only the things that they want them to believe and this has to stop. For too long they have been leading the people of this borough into believing that the only way to have a baths built in Redcar was to have the houses but this is simply not the case. As has already been stated by the council themselves in the press recently, they are now borrowing eight million pounds to fund the pool/leisure centre ,there fore there is absolutely no need for the houses whatsoever. The question that we should all be asking now is why haven’t the council borrowed the money to build a pool before now?
Councillor Findley also attacked the letter from Vera Moody that has recently been delivered to homes all over the area and described it as inaccurate and misleading. He said “In the letter the council have cherry picked the things that they want the public to know. They have stated that Arsenic has been found over the safe limit 2.5 metres below the ground in that area but what they have failed to tell people is that in the Persimmon planning application it states that Arsenic over the safe limit has been found at surface level on Coatham common too. They have stated that the sand/soil dug away recently from the dunes that make up the common by Mcalpine’s wasn’t contaminated, but when we went to Mcalpine’s yard it was under a massive cover saying “CONTAMINATED MATERIAL DO NOT UNCOVER”. They tried to play down the issue of the unexploded mines in the area but in the Persimmon planning application it clearly states that all potential mines would have to be cleared first and this is such a big job the whole scheme would become unviable. My biggest concern is that the council have known about the contamination, mines and flooding for years now yet they haven’t told the public, why?”
Councillor Findley urged as many people as possible to come on the march starting at 12.15pm on Saturday 7th October. He said I urge as many people who value the truth and democracy to come on this march and let their voices be heard. Men, women, old and young should come and let the council know that this lack of respect being shown by the council will not be tolerated any longer. This issue isn’t just about stopping 359 houses being built on a much loved and much used area of our coastline, that has now been revealed by the Environment agency is a zone 3 high flood risk area, it’s about transparency in local government and the truth being told to the council tax paying residents of Redcar and Cleveland. The full facts and the truth regarding Coatham haven’t been given to people, which is why we are demanding that the MP calls for a public inquiry so that they can”.
The protest march is meeting from 11 .30am and starting at 12.15pm on the afternoon of Saturday 7 October.
Mike Findley
Cllr Findley said he was joining the march because he felt that a public inquiry into the whole issue was the only way to guarantee the full facts regarding the scheme being brought into the public domain.
He said “for too long now the council have been keeping things secret from the public regarding the Coatham development and feeding them only the things that they want them to believe and this has to stop. For too long they have been leading the people of this borough into believing that the only way to have a baths built in Redcar was to have the houses but this is simply not the case. As has already been stated by the council themselves in the press recently, they are now borrowing eight million pounds to fund the pool/leisure centre ,there fore there is absolutely no need for the houses whatsoever. The question that we should all be asking now is why haven’t the council borrowed the money to build a pool before now?
Councillor Findley also attacked the letter from Vera Moody that has recently been delivered to homes all over the area and described it as inaccurate and misleading. He said “In the letter the council have cherry picked the things that they want the public to know. They have stated that Arsenic has been found over the safe limit 2.5 metres below the ground in that area but what they have failed to tell people is that in the Persimmon planning application it states that Arsenic over the safe limit has been found at surface level on Coatham common too. They have stated that the sand/soil dug away recently from the dunes that make up the common by Mcalpine’s wasn’t contaminated, but when we went to Mcalpine’s yard it was under a massive cover saying “CONTAMINATED MATERIAL DO NOT UNCOVER”. They tried to play down the issue of the unexploded mines in the area but in the Persimmon planning application it clearly states that all potential mines would have to be cleared first and this is such a big job the whole scheme would become unviable. My biggest concern is that the council have known about the contamination, mines and flooding for years now yet they haven’t told the public, why?”
Councillor Findley urged as many people as possible to come on the march starting at 12.15pm on Saturday 7th October. He said I urge as many people who value the truth and democracy to come on this march and let their voices be heard. Men, women, old and young should come and let the council know that this lack of respect being shown by the council will not be tolerated any longer. This issue isn’t just about stopping 359 houses being built on a much loved and much used area of our coastline, that has now been revealed by the Environment agency is a zone 3 high flood risk area, it’s about transparency in local government and the truth being told to the council tax paying residents of Redcar and Cleveland. The full facts and the truth regarding Coatham haven’t been given to people, which is why we are demanding that the MP calls for a public inquiry so that they can”.
The protest march is meeting from 11 .30am and starting at 12.15pm on the afternoon of Saturday 7 October.
Mike Findley
// posted by Chris McGlade @ 9:25 AM 
