South Downs National Park Authority Judicial review

Margaret Paren SDNPA Chairman.

I was not surprised at the recent news that the SDNPA has decided 
to use public money to start a Judicial review to challenge the decision 
made by Highways England to recommend route 5a .

The meeting was held in secret, the anti road campaigners got 
advance notice of that meeting and also got advice of what happened 
at the meeting and knowing the decision before any of the general public, 
eg collusion between the Authority and anti bypass supporters.
 (I have proof on all this)

The reason I wasn’t surprised is because the Chairman Margaret Paren, OBE. 

After taking early retirement became involved in the Campaign for the 

Protection of Rural England (CPRE).  CPRE were paramount in ensuring 

that the SDNPA park border was moved to south of the A27 rather than 

using that as a natural border of the park.

One Arundel has recently carried out a Freedom of information request 

and a huge number of documents have been supplied showing and proving 

collusion between the Park Authority and SCATE and key 

environmental campaigners,

All these documents have now been passed to the Highways Englands 

lawyers to enable them to robustly challenge the Judicial review.

SDNPA had many private meetings with Highways England and were 

kept abreast of the entire consultation process and had plenty of time and 

opportunity to input to that process, so to then turn around and challenge 

the decision that was so widely supported by the local community is 

disrespectful to local feelings.

Margaret Paren has been in position for over 8 years, she is not elected 

but was appointed by the Brown Government back in early 2010.

All local councils (Who have a democratic mandate) at all levels County 

(WSCC), District (Arun & Horsham), Town and Parish have all supported 

route 5a apart from Walberton who were against and Lyminster who were 

undecided.

So when there is proof that the  Authority has been partisan and has

 been meddling and undermining the will of the local population, 

I think the person at the head of that Authority should take responsibility, 

so Margaret Paren should consider her position.

I believe the SDNPA does not serve the needs of the local population, 

Storringtons air Qaulity is truly awful and has caused by HGV’s rat running

 through the Downs to avoid the Arundel Bottleneck.  It is in the 30 most 

polluted cities (Storrington is not a city but joins many cities in that 

enviable position) 

So you wonder why SDNPA is expending so much energy and public funding

 fighting the HE decision when they should be worrying about the Air Quality

 in Storrington.

Until next month