(N23) European Commission ruling/s - Various statements...

Darren Johnson
Tessa Jowell
Ken Livingston
Jean Lambert

Darren Johnson (Green Party) - statement email 3 November 2000

Dear Vivienne

Below is Darren's statement following the Commission's ruling - just in case you need it. I expect the media will be more inclined to use Ken's or Tessa Jowell's though.

All the best

Judy Maciejowska

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"I am delighted by the European Commission's decision. Planning permission should never have been granted for this development without an Environmental Impact Assessment. Local residents and campaigners have been of one view - they do not want this hideous multiplex to go ahead. They know that the impact on the local environment will be horrendous: the loss of hundreds of trees and open space and the vast increase in traffic that the development would bring. I now hope that Bromley Council and the Secretary of State take notice and put a stop this whole miserable scheme."

Darren Johnson
2nd November '00

Fred asked me (Duncan Chapman) to forward a copy of Tessa's statement from today which follows:

2 November 2000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement by Tessa Jowell MP

"Following the issue of a formal notice by the European Commission to the UK authorities

"I welcome the recent intervention by the European Commission with respect to the proposed development at Crystal Palace. Their formal notice makes it clear that there were considerable flaws in the original environmental consultant's report and calls into question Bromley's decision that no Environmental Impact Assessment was required.

"The community I represent placed enormous faith in the promise made by Bromley Council and the Developers to work with the local community to reach an acceptable outcome. The fact that this pledge was not honoured is perceived as nothing less than a breach of trust.

"I also find it deplorable that Bromley Council have now agreed to a cheaper design for the building. It is time for them to stop trying to push through a scheme that nobody wants. The sooner Bromley and the Developers recognise that they have lost the arguments over the proposed development, the better. It is still not too late to sit down and start talking about the future of the Park with the local community.

"Bromley and the Developers must understand that the worst outcome will be the construction of a hugely unpopular multiplex. A scarcely better situation is for the area to be blighted for the foreseeable future. The European Commission's formal notice provides the possibility of finding a way forward that the whole community can support."

Statement from Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London on the Crystal Palace development scheme:

The Greens in The European Parliament
Jean Lambert MEP,
Suite 58, The Hop Exchange,
24 Southwark St., London SE1

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Tel: 0207 407 6269 / Fax: 0207 234 0183

Thursday November 2 2000
Embargo: 12 Noon

Green MEP Welcomes European Commission Proceedings
into Crystal Palace Development

Green MEP for London Jean Lambert today welcomed the decision by the European Commission to commence legal proceedings into plans for a controversial leisure centre at Crystal Palace.

The Commission has begun the first stage of action which could lead to the European Courts of Justice over the lack of an adequate Environmental Impact Assessment. The assessment was demanded by Jean Lambert and the Crystal Palace Campaign a year ago.

The Commission does not normally reveal its correspondence with governments accused of breaking Community law, but a letter from their Legal Affairs Unit says they have told the UK authorities that "there appears to be considerable flaws in the environment consultant's report relied upon as the basis for the decision….not to require an environmental assessment." It states: "I would like to inform you that the Commission has now decided to send a letter of formal notice to the UK authorities with regard to the application of Council directive 85/337/EEC."

Jean Lambert commented today: "I have always said that the process being followed by the London Borough of Bromley and the developers is open to question, and the lack of any serious concern for the environmental impacts has been at the heart of the concerns. The severity of the storms we are now experiencing and the general agreement that the climate is changing shows that we need to question very carefully any developments likely to produce more traffic which causes global warming. This is very positive news from the European Commission and we will be keeping up the pressure on the government and Bromley Council to ensure the environmental issues are put back at the heart of consideration of this discredited development."

The timing of the decision by the Commission coming just days after the Prime Minister's speech pledging to put the environment at the centre of government will put considerable pressure on the authorities to comply. This could mean urgent action by the DETR to stop work beginning. Developers London & Regional properties Ltd have planning permission to proceed, but have not yet begun work.

Bromley Council's Legal Department said today they have not received any formal notice of the decision from either the Commission or the DETR.

More Information:

Jean Lambert	(London):	0207 407 6269
	(Brussels):	0032 2284 5507
Peter Lang	(Press Officer) :	0207 407 6280 / 0776 997 0691

CONTENTS:

Darren Johnson
Tessa Jowell
Ken Livingston
Jean Lambert

16/1/07 Last Updated 16/1/07