Response to The Comet & Welwyn Hatfield Times
The local newspapers published an article about the Knebworth Parish Council meeting on 9th Sep 2009 which did not reflect too well on our campaign. To present a balanced view we have written the following letter back to the newspapers.
Dear Sir or Madam,
In response to your article I would like to point out that the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the current proposals by the Local Development Framework (LDF) to develop up to 7 sites, with up to 400 new houses being built, on green field sites around Knebworth. Surprisingly there was extremely little discussion to this more immediate and real likelihood than the proposed secondary school.
NHDC are tasked with building a number of new homes in North Herts in the coming years and it is very likely that a number of these will be in Knebworth. What our idea proposes is a good alternative to the current proposals that offer little tangible benefit to the community, but with considerable financial rewards for developers. Our proposal would hugely benefit the community, providing both a secondary school and enhanced community facilities.
Your article also refers to the change of location for the proposed school and the anger expressed at the meeting as a result of an apparent failure to communicate this beforehand. We apologise for the confusion caused but would stress that when our campaign began we did not have any one site in mind. Whilst initially land near to Lessiters on London Road appeared to be suitable, subsequently the land next to the cemetery in Knebworth became a more suitable option. This was conveyed to the public and to your newspaper via our website (www.weneedaschool.org), where the plans had been available since June.
We would stress that nothing is set in stone and that the campaign has listened carefully to the comments and concerns raised at the meeting. We would like the opportunity to explore these in more detail and to answer them fully in the future.
Unfortunately the atmosphere at the meeting was not conducive to proper dialogue and many people who support the campaign have since told us that they wanted to speak up but simply felt too intimidated to do so.
Our aim is not to divide the community. Rather, we want to sustain and enhance our village and community for future generations to come. We see providing a secondary school as the way in which to do this by keeping families in the village who might otherwise move out because of the lack of choice at secondary school level. We also see this as a way of preserving other vital services in the village, such as our doctors’ surgery.
We are saddened by the way that the voices against the campaign were allowed to dominate the meeting. The campaign has over 1300 petition signatures, along with many letters of support and also political support from numerous quarters. Our open evening at Woolmer Green village hall on 7 September attracted many people who came to find out more about our proposals and who were, on the whole, very supportive.
We welcome debate, but would ask that people keep an open mind, as this idea is still in its infancy and is open to changes. Clearly such a proposal has its pros and cons and needs to be considered thoughtfully and without prejudice. Fear is a powerful weapon, often misdirected, that can cloud the issues and prevent productive dialogue.
We would ask that those against our ideas engage with us in open, meaningful and constructive dialogue. Anonymous anti-campaign action serves only to perpetuate fear and division within the community, which is the last thing that we want to see. We trust that those against the campaign agree with this sentiment.
We are not politicians; we are residents who see a secondary school as a way to help secure a sustainable future for the village.
To those who argue that our proposal will destroy the village, we would say regardless of any school, houses are going to be built in and around Knebworth in the not too distant future. Do we want these homes to be at the expense of the village for the benefit of developers or do we want development to bring tangible benefits to the local community?
Yours faithfully,
Juliet Pomerance
Campaign Chair