Dear Fellow Resident,

BARTON RELIEF ROAD & RAID

With Relief Road option voting underway (ends 18/2/22), RAID thinks this is the right time to provide you with a summary of where we are now and how we got to this point.

RAID was formed in August 2021, due to the Banks proposal. Barton Town Council has (and many others have) since objected to their Outline Planning Application. The matter is now in the hands of NLC Planning.

Ironically, that proposal made us look harder at the (just earlier) mid-2021 NLC Relief Road “consultation”. We thought that the route was aimed more at creating a new boundary/building line rather than quickly relieving traffic loads in the town. We still believe it’s the true primary agenda for the current NLC proposal.

RAID recommends an alternative route (Option 1) that prioritises improved traffic management.

There’s a mass of detail on the RAID website about this should you require more information.

We haven’t been afraid to investigate, challenge, ask questions and rock many boats. We’ve tried to back up what we we’re saying via evidence. We’ve offered our opinion and, in many cases, our views and predictions were found to be accurate. If we’ve made mistakes, we’d like think we’ve admitted it. We’ve acted quickly and decisively because there’s rarely time for endless debate.

Are we against all development? NO!!  It’s a necessary and accepted fact of life. However, the key word is “inappropriate” and a good starting point is respecting the Local Plan and Permitted Development areas

We’ve gained credibility with NLC and appreciate being made a Planning Consultee. Communications between NLC and RAID have not always been frictionless, but we hope there is mutual respect.

We’re not political. We just want things to be done fairly and openly. Whoever’s running the show.

We’ve tried to give you facts, so that you can make informed decisions. It became very clear how little information that’s in the public domain is shared and read widely. It’s out there perhaps, but you have to know where to look. That’s not always easy and people are very busy with their everyday lives. Events suddenly happen and then it’s too late to change anything. Some players make good use of this advantage!

That’s why we asked NLC to advise you by letter about the Banks and Relief Road issues. Old technology, but it’s totally fair and still effective. Not everybody is familiar with IT and social media.

The Relief Road vote gives YOU a major say in the future of YOUR Barton. We hope you support Option 1. It offers a prompt and relatively eco-friendly reduction of heavy traffic in the town. It’s long overdue.

RAID will respect the outcome, assuming it’s evident that the voting system is run fairly and openly.

We want people to be properly and widely informed and to have a real (and timely) say about their own community. That’s true democracy. Key decisions like this should not be decided primarily via small (closed shop and/or remote?) committees or individuals who may not have to live with the outcome on a daily basis.

If nothing else, we’ve opened up debate and discussion. Thank you for encouraging us to do that.

RAID

www.bartonraid.net

3rd February 2022