Tories press on with Danebury development with just 21 supporters

The Conservative Council - in one of the biggest blunders I think it has made for a long time - is trying to steamroller through plans to redevelop the top end of Danebury Avenue despite the most risible response to their so-called consultation.

In a report being discussed by councillors tonight, they will admit that out of 10,000 newsletters they claim to have delivered to the local area inviting residents to visit an exhibition at Roehampton Library held at the very end of July, just 35 bothered to respond.

Of these, a measly 21 (that's 0.2% of the voters of Roehampton) were in favour, but from the Alton estate itself, only 12 supported the Conservatives' plans. I can't help but pose this question: if the plans aren't supported by the Alton estate, what or who exactly is the Council doing this for?

I've been appalled at the way the Tory Council has handled this matter. I outlined my concerns here.

Now, the Conservatives have taken the very first opportunity after the Summer to steamroller their untested and unsupported plans through the Council. What's the rush? Why the hurry? What are they so afraid of?

Because residents weren't properly consulted by the Council, I've been surveying residents myself. I'm sending out over 3,000 surveys to Roehampton - surveys that set out the Council's plans impartially, then state my views, and then ask local people what they think. And the replies I'm getting - already, far more responses than those the council can cite - are completely at odds with the figures the Conservatives are claiming.

For example, just as the original council consultation found, an overwhelming majority is against building on the green. People want more affordable homes, not less. They want more family homes - under the new Tory plans, not a single three-bedroom council flat for rent will be built. And people are divided on whether or not a supermarket is a good idea, but they're strongly against the traffic access for it being in Danebury Avenue - a residential area that should be the focal point of the community, not a motorway for huge articulated lorries bringing stock to the supermarket and hundreds of customers in their cars every day. And we haven't even touched on the tiny amount of space allotted to community groups, the height of the buildings proposed and the needlessness of building a new library when people love the library they have.

I'll write more about the results I'm getting as surveys come in over the coming days - and once people have had a reasonable amount of time to reply, I'll share the results with the council.

But my message to Conservative councillors before tonight's meeting is this: put aside your partisan desire to railroad plans just because we have a difference of opinion. Think about the consequence of your action. Bear in mind the ridiculously low response you've elicited. Listen to the views of residents - they DO NOT support your new plan. And if you have any question at all that I may have a point all I'm asking is that you hold off a decision until you have all the evidence at your disposal. There's no need to bounce Roehampton into a multi-million pound development. This isn't how Wandsworth got it's reputation for financial prudence.

Defer the decision tonight.