MORE TIME PLEASE!

12.00.00am GMT Sun 9th Feb 2003

In a letter to Councillor Roger Avins, Chair of the Council's Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Lib Dem Spokesman Councillor Martin Elengorn today demanded that sufficient time be given to discuss the great weight of objections coming in against Tory modifications to the UDP.

Many of these relate to very controversial changes in status of Metropolitan Open Land and other Open Space.

Said Martin "At present a guillotined 3 hour meeting is planned on 1st April and that's all."

"That will be quite insufficient to do justice to all the objections that are now pouring in as the February 14th deadline approaches."

"I have suggested that, as a minimum, Cllr Avins holds two meetings of the Committee and without the guillotine which is a highly undesirable Tory innovation."

"It is apparent from recent public meetings that senior Tory councillors have seemingly been completely oblivious of what is being proposed in their own wards, despite the proposals having been in the public domain since October and discussed in full Council in December."

"Very regrettably they have sought to shift blame for their inattention onto hard-working Council officers who have made very clear what the process is."

"I hope that by April these councillors will have remembered what their duties are and come to a view on proposals in their own wards. The Scrutiny Committee will be delighted to hear from them."