AIDA

BURLEY,

MP FOR CA

OCK

CHA

HOUSE
Cllr George Adamson Leader, Cannock Chase Council Beecroft Road Cannock Staffordshire WS11 1BG

OF COMMONS
SWIA OAA

LONDON

12 November 2012

I am writing to seek clarification of your comments, quoted in the Express & Star last week on 6th November, regarding apparent proposals for 'a 150,000sq ft retail development on the 200-space Beecroft Road car park site'. According to the article, "Detailed plans for a sprawling retail development in Cannock town centre will be drawn up early next year", and "bosses from Cannock Chase District Council today said they were working to "pull together' all of the details of the development. " You are then mentioned, with the article stating that: "Council leader Councillor George Adamson said he expected detailed plans for the scheme to be drawn up early in 2013. He said they were looking at retailers who would be interested in setting up at the new development. " You are quoted directly saying: "At the moment we are still pulling the scheme together, "and 'The project is still in a very early stage so there is a lot of work still to be done" before adding "However I would expect plans to be drawn up after Christmas or early into the New Year now. " As you will be aware, as the local MP I have regular meetings with Senior Council Officers, who have never mentioned any such plans to me. Indeed, when I asked them recently about this scheme, they said categorically that no such plans exist - either now or in the foreseeable future - and no such plans are being 'drawn up' by any council employees at the moment. The Conservative Group also used their last Shadow Cabinet meeting, which is attended by Senior Officers, to ask about this scheme. Similarly, they were also told that there were no plans to draw up proposals either now or at any time in the near future and certainly not after Christmas or in the New Year.
MP Help Zone: Unit 6, High Green Court, Newhall Email: aidan.burley.mp@parliament.uk treet, Cannock, WS 11 IGR Tel: 01543 502447

Can you therefore clarify the following: Were you quoted correctly, or if not, which were the misquotes? If you were not misquoted, what plans are currently "being pulled together" by Officers? What do those plans involve? Who are the "bosses from Cannock Chase District Council" who "today said they were working to "pull together" all of the details of the development" - what are their names and what departments do they work in? Who is the Lead Cabinet Member overseeing their work? When you personally state: "I would expect plans to be drawn up after Christmas" can you explain what you expect to be in those plans - which shops are you targeting, which 'anchor' store are you aiming to centre the development around, what will be done in terms of parking provision lost? I am sure you would agree that if the Council is actually moving forward with the development of the Beecroft Road Car Park site then local people have a right to know the details. Many worried residents on Allport Road have been contacting my office since your comments, deeply concerned about the compulsory purchase of their homes if the plans go ahead. I would raise major questions about the common sense of building on a car park in close proximity to Cannock Hospital, given the impact that insufficient parking is already having on the efforts to secure our local Hospital. Can you also guarantee that any plans going forward will not be allowed to reduce the availability of parking on the site for Hospital patients and visitors? I am sure you would agree that the residents of Cannock Chase deserve a clear explanation of the Council's intentions regarding this site, and your expected timeframes. I therefore look forward to your responses to the points above, and would be very grateful for a reply in a form that I can forward on to my constituents. I am putting this letter in the public domain. Yours sincerely,