Parking plan U-turn hailed as victory

ELY conservationists are celebrating the news that the council has dumped the cathedral land parking plan as a "victory for anyone who cares about the beauty of England".

Members of the newly-launched Ely Conservation Group, who fought to halt the project through their own website, say they are proud of the campaign and the speed with which it achieved the desired result.

"This is a great victory for anyone who cares about small corners of beauty all over England," said chairman, Neil Hitchin. "It is fantastic for everyone in Ely and East Cambs and throughout the country that letters and e-mails written to the local and national press, to the council and the cathedral in defence of the meadows, can be seen to have brought about a real change of heart on the issue so quickly."

The decision to abandon the plan to create an extra 59 parking spaces by extending Ely's Broad Street car park into the deanery garden, came following a site visit from English Heritage.

The charity expressed concerns about the impact the project would have on the historic character of the city and the cathedral.

Two days before councillors were due to meet to discuss the national conservation group's concerns, Tories, who had been pushing the project forward, climbed down and pulled the plug on the idea.

At an East Cambridgeshire District Council environment and transport committee meeting on Friday the decision was rubber- stamped.

Members recommended to full council that "given the significant differences of opinion within this council and as expressed in public, this committee wishes to advise the council not to proceed with any further consultation on the proposed Broad Street car park proposal."

Now councillors are pushing ahead with consultations on the possibility of providing a multi-storey car park for commuters at Ely railway station.