BERNARD ATHA’S VIEW : THE MOOR IS UNDER SUSTAINED ATTACK
On Friday the 1st May, Councillor Bernard Atha issued the following statement :
“The Moor is under sustained attack now. Every day sees further damage.
I am opposed totally to the proposals for the barbecue slabs. They would not be allowed in Roundhay or Horsforth or Guiseley. Why Woodhouse?
I have asked that this proposal be submitted for planning application. I have not yet had a response after more than a week.
I have asked that big notices be put up saying barbecues are a breach of the bye laws and offenders will be prosecuted.
I have asked that local funds available to the Councillors are used to pay for extra police supervision and enforcement.
I have pointed out that the Lib Dems could stop this scheme now. Labour has 42 votes in the Council and the nine Lib Dems have nine in Inner North West Leeds making sure that any proposal to stop the scheme and save the Moor could be carried.
I have objected to the views expressed by the local Lib Dem Councillor James Matthews that as we cannot police the park we had better control it by this plan.
I object to the other Lib Dems who say they await the result of the consultation which, as many have written in to say, is a fraud as so many local residents have not received the consultation document which in itself was designed to produce the answer required.
I object to the statement made by the Lib Dems who say that the scheme is Cllr John Procter’s idea. He is a Tory. The idea has not come from John Procter I am sure, and in any case the Lib Dems and the Conservatives have formed a coalition and the Lib Dems are the biggest Party in that coalition.
We must defeat this stupid and damaging proposal and collectively make sure the Moor is protected and supervised properly.
The Lib Dem coalition has mounted a series of attacks on the Moor : making part of it a car park, turning over a large area to accommodate University pitches, a drinking den for easier supervision of the alcoholics displaced from elsewhere and hacking away a substantial strip of it to form a bus lane to ease traffic on what is the widest stretch of road on this extremely busy route out of Leeds. These have all been schemes produced by the coalition in which the Lib Dems are the largest Party.”
(published courtesy of Bernard Atha)
One thought on “BERNARD ATHA’S VIEW : THE MOOR IS UNDER SUSTAINED ATTACK”
The difficulty with Bernard Atha’s emails is that he makes some well argued points but within them includes statements which are simply wrong. Leave them unchallenged and they become the accepted truth. Challenge them and you are accused of petty politics. I will challenge them on this occasion because they cannot be left unanswered.
1. The proposals for a carpark were in a document in preparation when his party ran the Council. The current administration dropped the proposals
2. The proposals for playing pitches on Woodhouse Moor were as a result of planning permission to build on playing fields on the Leeds Grammar School site, to be compensated for by putting pitches on Woodhouse Moor. These plans were approved ten years ago when his party was in power. The current admnistration has not implemented them and have no intention of doing so
3. Drinking den. This was raised by the police at an all party alcohol group as something which had worked well in London Parks. It was discussed and dismissed as inappropriate for Woodhouse Moor.
4. Widening the A660. Guilty as charged – but as soon as local Councillors saw these proposals theyhad them dropped. Note that the supertram proposals which were drawn up when Bernard was in power included substantial widening of the A660 at Woodhouse Moor. I do not recall Bernard objecting to these.
I am all for debate, but lets have the facts.
Cheers
Martin