Bourne Hill Action Group Newsletter

The latest newsletter from the Bourne Hill Action Group is being delivered to thousands of homes in the Salisbury area over the next 10 days. The newsletter is shown below. Please e-mail it to your friends, neighbours and work colleagues.

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SAVE THE SECRET GARDEN

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP SALISBURY DISTRICT COUNCIL

WASTING £15.4m+ OF YOUR MONEY & DESTROYING A RARE & HISTORIC 18^th CENTURY GARDEN

Salisbury District Council wants to build controversial and over-sized offices at Bourne Hill at a cost of £15.4million (and rising). Despite prolonged local opposition, the Council have:

· Gone ahead despite their plans being thrown out by the local City Area (Planning) Committee;

· Fulfilled their statutory obligation to consult local people – and then completely ignored the results;

· Ignored petitions signed by more than 3,200 local people and nearly 500 letters of objection;

· Shown complete contempt for democracy by pushing the plans through before a decision on local government re-organisation that might see the Council ABOLISHED altogether.

· Signed contracts with builders only weeks before nominations open for the May local elections.

Local residents are trying to prevent this WASTE of public money by doing everything we can WITHIN THE LAW to stop the project. It is very nearly too late. We need your help NOW!

We ARE NOT against council office centralisation in principle. We ARE independent of any political party and against undemocratic local government, bullying tactics, the destruction of a beautiful public amenity by building in a conservation area… and a MASSIVE WASTE of £15.4 million of YOUR money.

OVER THE PAST WEEK THE COUNCIL HAVE:· Breached their own planning pre-conditions by failing to provide a required signage plan;

· Ignored the requirements of a licence issued by DEFRA, imposed to protect wildlife on the site - by attempting to fell a mature Hornbeam Tree and by failing to put up bat hibernation boxes in time;

· Put the public at serious risk by flouting Health & Safety regulations in their working practises;

· Failed to give the public any advance notice of closure of public park land;

· Applied for an injunction to prevent local people from going into the park and try to stop one of their own District Councillors – who opposes the project – from carrying out his duties as a Councillor;

· Anticipated the legal process, hours before their injunction application was due to be heard in court, by taking intimidating pre-emptive action against local residents at 5:30 am.

LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE:

· Conducted a peaceful and lawful protest attended by over 150 people;

· Legally protected the Secret Garden by maintaining a continuous presence;

· Gone to court and won an adjournment to prepare a defence against the Council’s injunction.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

· Display the poster on the other side of this newsletter in your window;

· Forward this leaflet to your friends and neighbours by copying it and distributing;

· Show your support by visiting the Secret Garden at Bourne Hill and helping us to keep it beautiful;

· Contact the media to show your opposition to this project;

Spire FM – 01722 416644

BBC Radio Wiltshire – 01722 411280

postbag@salisburyjournal.co.uk :

or write a letter to: Postbag, The Salisbury Journal, Rollestone Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire

Send a donation to the Bourne Hill Legal Defence Fund to help us defeat the Council’s injunction:

Send cash or cheques made out to “Bourne Hill Legal Defence Fund” to: Mary Stephens, 34 Wyndham Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3AB. Tel: 01722 411483 Email: bournehill_defencefund@hotmail.co.uk

NO TO WASTING £15.4m+ ON COUNCIL OFFICES

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SAVE THE SECRET GARDEN!