The Development Debate

FREE SPEECH Public Meeting 23 June 2004 7.30pm St Edmunds Hall Felixstowe

What a pleasure it was to be at a public meeting, where free speech and plain questions were permitted and encouraged. So different than the arrogantly run stage managed council meetings, which know little of open and transparent government. Many interesting and relevant facts came out from questions asked by those attending.

It was asked whether a diary was being kept over the many evasions and inability by the council  to produce required documents  in connection with the  proposed development. It was not good enough for officials to state that information would be available middle July which would be too late for action to be taken after the decision for planning had been made. Several members of the public  were concerned that council minutes seem to bear little resemblance to what was actually said at meetings but only what the council wanted to happen? 

Wot's it  really all about ? Many residents believe it's money, money, money.Land earmarked for recreation and leisure under the area plan, to be given away for building !

We will fight them on the crumbling sea defences ,we fight them on the old putting green, we will fight them with the beach hut owners, .....we shall never surrender ...'

Although we haven't got a novelty rock emporium in the South Seafront area like Dad's army many residents of long standing can remember when the locality was a lovely vibrant pleasant, much used  and a really pleasant place to live.

This was  until the council's first project failed and now to be forced into such a  bad scheme  has brought out the  real D Day spirit  in many of the locals. They feel like saying with Sir Winston! We will fight them on the crumbling sea defences ,we fight them on the old putting green, we will fight them with the beach hut owners, We will fight them from the floodgates even with the water coming over, We will fight them from the Martello Tower, we will fight them from the Nuclear Bunker, We will fight them from the Herman de Stern we shall never surrender..'

Churchill: 'We shall go on to the end, we shall fight  on the seas and oceans ...'we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender ...'

Free Speech

Many residents were distressed to be forced to sit in silence listening to half truths and deception at the recent council meeting to be threatened by the chairman and then  to be patronised  which led  to the final uproar at the close of the meeting

Felixstowe and Free Speech