On the 23rd March 2018 I had my first meeting with our Westminster MP Kwasi Kwertang
The meeting went very well. He is very supportive and he is 100% behind us. He feels that:
“…We ‘he was including himself when he said this’ are in a very good place with this, to get the result we need from Heathrow…”
He believes the STH campaign has really ignited things, that everything is going well and looking very positive. He also congratulated me on our residents association appointments. We discussed most of the blight issues we suffer on the village and for any I didn’t, I left a long letter explaining all the issues for him to examine and come back as soon as possible.
He was very surprised with everything that has been done already and he wants to arrange more meetings. He also wants (Westminster duties allowing) to come to one of our meetings. The first one to be held early July 2018.
Something that did surprise me though was. – He knew nothing about Morris/Oakleaf??
He wants to know who is the company behind it, who owns the land, what plans are being applied for etc. – So time for some more investigative work there.
All-in-all, we’re in a very good place. Those with a stake in the game know we’re not going away and we’re actually getting stronger.
So and its onwards and upwards…
Best Regards,
Jim.
Great work Jim! I referenced Oakleaf in my letter to him, so I guess he either forgot or has not read it….regardless, getting him up to speed will do us no harm. – Bob Dick
I would be interested to know what the current criteria is for inclusion in the WPOZ scheme and why we have not met the required criteria. – Paul Fisher
Totally agree with paul however i am still baffled as to why,given heathrows extensive proposals together with the logistics in ceating a third runway which is pretty much on top of our village we have been excluded from the WPOZ, – Jackie Hynam
I agree with points made and I would also like to try and convey to him how much our village life has deteriorated over recent years. I believe this has got progressively worse since T5, where we were once again overlooked. It was very sad to hear fellow villagers who I have grown up with (i’ve been here 50 years) almost at their wits end to how a nice place to live has been turned almost into a nightmare. The list of reasons seems almost endless. It isn’t necessarily planes overhead, I personally think the constant drone of the aircraft waiting is worse, there’s congestion, car issues, rubbish and neglect, light pollution, state of the roads and I feel trapped there is no safe way to cycle to either Staines or Heathrow as we can’t rely on buses. I appreciate a safe route to the airport might cause more parking but it is frustrating. I feel the long term health of anyone living here is at risk from all the things surrounding our village. It’s very unfair and sad. – Mike Cathrall
Hi Jim, without digressing too much from STH, which must be the priority, if you are also talking to him as SMRA Chairman, can you ask him what he think about the Incinerator and Immigration Centre being put on Green Belt? In the former, maybe ask him if he intends to sign Early Day Motion 581? https://www.parliament.uk/edm/2017-19/581 Good luck with it! – Bob Dick
Well said , Jim. – Mike Diprose