STAR LETTER: Why we all need to push for Parkside
10:26am Thursday 19th June 2008
WHILE I’m delighted the development of the former Parkside colliery site was an issue in the recent local elections the inevitable downside was a further spate of 'nimby’ propaganda from those opposed to the development. The arguments range from HGVs on local roads, saving the greenbelt and questions about the number of jobs created by the development.
The objectors would have us believe that HGVs will be exiting the motorway before taking a leisurely tour through the traffic lights and speed bumps of Newton-le-Willows before rejoining the motorway to enter the Parkside site via a specially built entrance on the M6.
I’ve heard of traffic taking a short cut but it defies logic to try and pretend HGVs will add several miles to their journey touring the local backstreets for the sheer fun of it. Then we have the greenbelt argument. The land earmarked for development is currently inaccessible to the public.More than 225 acres of the land, over 30 per cent of site, will be dedicated to a new countryside park including woodlands, lakes, wild open space, and managed parkland. This will open space for local people rather the private farmland.
The countryside park will be planned with local residents, community groups and schools in mind. Along with the thousands of new jobs there will be related training provision, working with local education providers and job centres to ensure local people benefit from these new job opportunities.
The jobs available will include train drivers, signal staff, warehousing, security, administration, retail and site maintenance. There will also be provision for a free bus service to take workers from the local train station to the site.
This important development will inject £200million into the local economy every year, not only providing long term employment but putting money into people’s pockets to spend in local shops and the local service sector.
Does anyone doubt Newton’s shops and town centre needs the money? Most of the shops in the town centre are either shuttered, derelict or fast food shops and Newton is fast becoming an economic ghost town. Even in the wider St Helens area we are still leaking full time jobs with little being done to replace them.
I have no problems with Councillor Suzanne Knight backing the 'nimby’ campaign. I do have a problem with Cllr Knight serving as Deputy Leader of the Council while opposing thousands of jobs and massive new investment into our area.
Such a senior position comes with a duty to promote the interests of the whole borough. What sort of message does it send out to potential investors in our borough when the Deputy Leader of the Council is opposed to such a huge opportunity to regenerate our area?
I would also urge Cllr Brian Spencer to stop sitting on the fence and get behind the scheme. He quite rightly makes supportive comments about the Saints Stadium proposals so let’s have the same backing when it comes to jobs and investment for our borough.
In addition I would just remind Cllrs Spencer and Knight that it is their own Liberal Democrat Party’s policy to build rail freight interchanges to help ease congestion and combat pollution.
They can’t duck their responsibility on this vital issue any longer and it’s time for the prevarication to end and the leadership to start. The scheme needs the Council’s support and full backing to ensure these jobs aren’t lost to our area forever.
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