Toxic Tip Schools - A Major Test of the National Assembly Sense of Purpose

Environmentalists are urgently calling on the Assembly to use its powers to avoid a major planning disaster or be disgraced in years to come.

Friends of the Earth Cymru are calling on the Assembly to call-in or revoke the planning application to relocate the John Bright school in Llandudno directly onto an old toxic tip. The application is part of a PFI plan to allow an American supermarket chain to build a store on the valuable centrally located school site. The Conwy County Borough Council will be voting on the John Bright school application tomorrow (Thursday - 9.30am, Bodlondeb, Conwy).

The local Conwy FOE group and FOE Cymru, together with local residents and parents groups, claim that the application is seriously flawed and they are not impressed by the Assembly saying that this is only a local issue (1). The Childrens Commissioner, speaking out on what is his first major investigation says it is a national issue, the North Wales Health Authority says there are novel issues and there has been widespread public concern about this and a similar application in Newport. All reason enough for the Assembly to raise alarm bells say the group.

On Tuesday night, amidst angry exchanges, Llandudno Town Council voted (13 - 9) to close its ears to the North Wales Health Authority's recent (2nd Nov) response to the application, and details of the unprofessional way in which the application had moved through the planning process (2). FOE Cymru say that local politicians have been in deeply entrenched positions from the beginning and simply do not want to listen, let alone debate relevant new information, even in the wake of the Nantygwyddon debacle. The Assembly should now show leadership and step in for the sake of all involved, not least the children of Wales, say FOE Cymru.

Neil Crumpton, FOE Cymru campaigner who attended Tuesdays brief Llandudno Town Council meeting, said,

"The proposed siting of John Bright school on a toxic tip has become a real test of the National Assemblys' sense of purpose. This is an issue of national importance, as will become more and more evident to the wider public over the coming months and years if the Assembly does not call-in or revoke this application. The credibility of the Assembly can be significantly eroded or boosted by their thoughts and actions on this matter."

Notes

1) Letter from Minister Sue Essex to Conwy Friends of the Earth (dated 13.12.01) received on Monday stating only reserved matters such as design landscaping and access details were still outstanding.

2) The Llandudno Town Council was convened to consider a call by two of their members to hear a presentation by a retired civil engineer on aspects of the toxicity of the site and the remediation proposals. The meeting lasted about 15 minutes as some councillors spoke against hearing the presentation, then voted against it.