Clearer Vision Letter Printed on Edge lane Debate

RE: YOUR coverage of “the battle of Edge Lane”: The court order issued over the weekend will not hold the project up at all, as that cannot proceed without the CPO.

On the other hand, rather than creating a fait-accompli before the next CPO is considered, the order does keep open the option for restoring Edge Lane to a splendour it has not seen for a long time.

Nor has the court order cost the reported £1.5m. For that. look to English Partnership’s decision, despite their advisors’ warning, to proceed with a CPO which was not legally applicable to the job in hand.

You imply Elizabeth Pascoe could have acted earlier against the bulldozers but, contrary to some claims, neither she nor those living next to the demolition targets were told of any specific plans until Friday afternoon. It is hard not to suppose that they hoped to leave the notice too late to take any legal action.

You are also out of the loop if you think that the LLDC proposal is for a “fast route”. The official position is that the road will keep its 30mph speed limit throughout.

Although the design on offer may encourage many to exceed that, they will gain nothing from it but a longer wait before the next set of traffic lights. Indeed, on the face of it, their planned dual carriageway will shave less than two seconds off your journey time. At the Better Environmental Vision for Edge Lane, we are keen to seek a compromise, and are sure there is a good solution waiting to be found.

Dai Gwynne, BEVEL