Time for a re-think on William Hunter Way

Cllr Philip Mynott, Brentwood North, has spoken out about the "progress" on the William Hunter Way development after being barred from speaking on the matter in the council chamber, despite it being in the ward he represents.

Cllr Mynott, also long time member of the Swan Paddock Residents Association, says that three important points about the WHW scheme and the Tory council's claims in regard to it were scarcely touched on:

"Firstly, the claim that the viability of these plans have now been established, was once again disproven, even commercially, by Stockland's continuing failure, after two and a half years of trying, to find businesses willing to fill even 60% of its units.

"Secondly, the Council's continuing and astonishing self-centredness reappeared in the assurance that "if only 38% of current customers use Brentwood borough car parks during the development then the council will break even on its current income target". Yet if such potential fall-offs happened the immeasurably greater danger would be the death of the High Street, something which should have concerned the council all along.

"Thirdly, the utter absurdity of discounting Brentwood Centre and King George's car parks as possible park-and-ride sites because of the huge, finally admitted, problem of A128 (Ongar/Ingrave Road) congestion, when the scheme itself, if built, would enormously add to already dire congestion on this and other Brentwood routes.

If not commenced within three years, planning approval for this development will have to be renewed in February 2012, but, with Europe's largest shopping centre having just opened at Stratford, the Liberal Democrat group say it is time for a proper rethink and some new creative ideas which could actually benefit Brentwood and set us apart from other towns.