1/10/2009

Midlothian Council accused ignoring local opinion on John Street precinct proposal

Midlothian Council have been blasted over their failure to response to MSPs and the Penicuik Community Development Trust after they called for the Council to clarify its position on a proposal to de-pedestrianise the John Street Precinct in the town. SNP MSP Christine Grahame has demanded that Council officials respond following “months of silence” on the issue and make clear they will support local opposition to the plans to allow vehicles to gain access through the precinct. Ms Grahame said:

“Both myself and the Penicuik Community Development Trust have written to the Council on this matter. The Trust had an acknowledgement of their letter at the start of August after writing to officials in June, but nothing more and I have had only silence after the Council failed to even acknowledge the report I sent following my extensive Penicuik consultation.

“During the summer over 70 local people attended the Trust’s AGM and unanimously declared their support for a campaign opposing the re-introduction of vehicles into the precinct.
“It appears the Council’s approach is to try and ignore the issue and hope no one will notice once they move to de-pedestrianise the precinct.

“Once again Labour run Midlothian Council appears to have no regard at all for the views and opinions of local people or their democratically elected representatives.

“I would call on them publicly to make their position known and clarify whether they support this proposal that previous consultations have shown will increase the risk to shoppers and other pedestrians from traffic moving through the area. It is a dangerous proposal and recklessly conceived which takes no account of local views.”

SNP It’s time.....