WASBO

Waddington Against Southern Bypass Option

Report on the Scrutiny Committee Meeting.

On Thursday 13 April 2006 members of the WASBO committee, plus many residents of Waddington attended the “call in” of Cllr William Webb’s decision to recommend route 2C be taken forward to the next stage of consideration. 

The Scrutiny Management Committee heard the case amongst extraordinary displays of bumbling incompetence by Cllr Webb of not only the subject matter but also the procedures that should be followed.  Where an example of inconsistency of procedure was highlighted, this was quickly glossed over and the machinery forged ahead, elbowing aside protests by valiant Councillors.  Chairman Cllr Bliss repeatedly urged councillors to be brief and tried to limit the number of questions each one asked. We are glad to say that most councillors stood up to him and demanded they be heard in full.

The  arguments brought up by the Labour councillors, especially Councillors Coupland, Jackson & Robinson who were responsible for the call in, were faultless and could not have been better presented.  In addition, some Conservative councillors appeared to have a good grip of the situation and asked questions that were both critical of Cllr Web and supportive of the aims of WASBO.  In the event, however the voting was made on party lines.  The party whip was out and they toed the line.  The vote was 11:7 in support of Cllr Webb’s decision as Portfolio Holder for Highways.

Cllr Webb made the statement that if Corridor 2 was not chosen, then the Lincoln Southern Bypass would never be built.  He believed that funding would not be available for the slightly longer Corridor 3 whilst Corridor 2 was still in existence. 

WASBO believe Corridor 2 should never have existed in the first place – it is a travesty of human rights and an insult to the residents of Waddington whose homes and quality of life are considered expendable, “for the greater good of Lincolnshire”. 

“After all,”  said Cllr Webb,  “it is not Waddington’s by-pass it is Lincoln and Lincolnshire’s.”  Too right.  It is not a bypass for Waddington, it is a partition.

Cllr Webb stated several times that “the decision itself was easy”.  He has obviously paid scant regard to the protestations of the Lincolnshire residents whose greater good will be bulldozed, along with their homes.

“We have filing cabinets and tables groaning under the weight of letters and information regarding this subject”.  “Why then”, asked a Labour councillor “is the paper before us today only 3 pages long?  Why can’t we see and share in all this information?”  There was no answer.

After a long debate, with tempers raised on both sides, suddenly it was all over.  The councillors, irritable at having to wait for their lunch, set aside their personal views, voted according to instructions and scuttled out of the chamber.

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Last modified: 21/01/2007 14:52

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