PRESS
RELEASE
For Immediate Release 12 January 2001
Southern
England campaign group, South Coast Against Roadbuilding and local direct action
group The Battle for Hastings, have joined forces to attack the decision by the
Regional Planning Committee of the South East England Regional Assembly to
support building the Hastings bypass.
Astonished
by the committees decision SCAR's Peter Rogers said:
"Clearly members of the committee think they know better than their
professional officers, indeed even better than the specialists
consultants appointed by the Government".
"By
adopting this myopic stance the committee risk 100's of millions of pounds being
spent on a scheme which will be of dubious benefit to Hastings and may in-fact export
jobs out of the area".
Continuing
Peter Rogers added: "Hastings
is crying out for a 21st century rail link to Ashford and Europe more than a
bypass to nowhere. Planning to spend vast millions on a discredited road scheme
is wanton and the regional planning committee should resign
en masse".
--ENDS--
Notes
for editors.
SCAR
was formed in 1994 as an umbrella group to local groups fighting the then threat
of a Folkestone - Honiton superhighway.
SCAR
has attended various public inquiry's along the coast with local groups
providing expert witnesses to challenge damaging road schemes.
SCAR
and its affiliates have also given physical, moral, and financial support to
other road fighter groups at Twyford, Newbury and the A30.