It’s Our City Asks: Who is Responsible?

 The public inquiry into the Centros plans for the canal corridor north site is nearly finished, with supplementary evidence and closing submissions due to be submitted in writing over the next few weeks. It’s Our City have been pleased to play a full part in the inquiry process and have provided the Inspector with detailed evidence on consultation, traffic and air quality, the retail impact and economic tourism. We were also hugely pleased to see so many local people come to the inquiry to tell the inspector why they opposed Centros’s plans. A final decision is due in the next few months.

However, over the course of the inquiry it has become clear that there have been serious problems concerning Lancaster City Council’s role regarding these plans. It’s Our City now ask: who was responsible for the council’s decision to defend the plans?

Emilie Secker of It’s Our City says “It seems strange that the council only realised that there were major problems with this scheme, leading them to withdraw from the inquiry, at this late stage. Surely the planning team should have been asking questions about these issues from the outset. It was clear at the inquiry that it is very important to the people of Lancaster that there is proper accountability for the poor decision to continue with the Centros scheme despite the clear failures of the plans”.

Nevertheless, It’s Our City are also looking forward to working with both local and national bodies to further community-led development in Lancaster .

Billy Pye explains: “There are clearly some major problems with the way in which the  planning team in the council dealt with this whole process. However it is also clear that there are people within the council prepared to act with honesty and integrity and who have a different way of doing things. English Heritage and Save Britain’s Heritage are keen to work with local people in Lancaster in the future, and of course there are many local citizens who would love to get properly involved in deciding how Lancaster should move forward. We see this as an incredibly positive thing for the future of our city”.