Another Year Before Final Decision On Mereham Is Made

ANOTHER year before the final Mereham decision, but signs are good. It looks like whoever is Secretary of State in late 2010 will be making a final decision on the plans for this region from now until 2031. This decision is due towards the end of 2010. H

ANOTHER year before the final Mereham decision, but signs are good.

It looks like whoever is Secretary of State in late 2010 will be making a final decision on the plans for this region from now until 2031. This decision is due towards the end of 2010.

Hazel Blears, who was Secretary of State in August 2008, has already comprehensively rejected the horrible Mereham "Smash and Grab raid" on our countryside. Thanks to The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) giving the plans new life in September 2008, the residents of this area will have had in total five years of worry, five years of cost, five years of wasted energy, five years of council resource and many thousands of pounds of taxpayers money wasted on this wretched scheme.

Common sense does appear to be surfacing at last and the latest EERA report shows that it has listened to the views of Cambridgeshire County Council (your recently directly elected body), an Independent Planning Inspector, East Cambs District Council, 10,000 petitioners and the Say No to Mereham campaign.

The opinion of the county is that Mereham is "Not worthy of further consideration".

Mereham has always been a "Dead Duck" plan but now it looks mortally wounded. The Say No to Mereham Group will keep fighting this proposed development which planned to turn prime farming land into a concrete jungle. The fight will continue until rigour mortis has set in and all remains are consigned to history's rubbish bin.

BILL HUNT

County Councillor Haddenham Division and District Councillor Stretham

Ward.