The Inspector's report on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's Core Strategy Development Plan has some stern words concerning the council's failure to:
produce a 20 year strategy on transport infrastructure;
develop policies to better co-ordinate different forms of public transport;
procrastination on park & ride.
I have commented previously on Councillor Ransley's strange views on railway timetables. I trust he was not let near those who dreamed up the content of the Core Strategy the Inspector found unacceptable.
This week the Courier reported on the launch of the draft Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Transport Strategy, castigated by Councillor Brian Ransley as being bereft of research, scrutiny and costs. Councillor Ransley, along with Lib Dem councillor David Neve and Councillor Sean Holden, pressed for a document the three of them had produced entitled Streets Ahead to be included in the draft strategy. The Council demurred, in my opinion rightly. My research has not produced any evidence that any of the three has qualifications or expertise in transport issues. It is dangerous to give equivalence of status to reports produced by paid officers and elected members. By all means elected member should make decisions based on the professional evidence before them. However it is a rather different proposition to suggest that councillors should publish documents and then vote on them. A moments thought exposes the dangers of such an approach.
produce a 20 year strategy on transport infrastructure;
develop policies to better co-ordinate different forms of public transport;
procrastination on park & ride.
I have commented previously on Councillor Ransley's strange views on railway timetables. I trust he was not let near those who dreamed up the content of the Core Strategy the Inspector found unacceptable.
This week the Courier reported on the launch of the draft Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Transport Strategy, castigated by Councillor Brian Ransley as being bereft of research, scrutiny and costs. Councillor Ransley, along with Lib Dem councillor David Neve and Councillor Sean Holden, pressed for a document the three of them had produced entitled Streets Ahead to be included in the draft strategy. The Council demurred, in my opinion rightly. My research has not produced any evidence that any of the three has qualifications or expertise in transport issues. It is dangerous to give equivalence of status to reports produced by paid officers and elected members. By all means elected member should make decisions based on the professional evidence before them. However it is a rather different proposition to suggest that councillors should publish documents and then vote on them. A moments thought exposes the dangers of such an approach.
Sadly, I have little confidence in anything Councillor Ransley proposes since he published his barmy ideas for re-timetabling the Tunbridge Wells - Charing Cross rail service.
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