In response to the letter about the community survey currently underway in Wygate Park, Spalding.
Clearly, the writer has allowed emotion to cloud his judgement and failed to read the covering flyer and the survey itself.
Both refer to a facility not a building, although that is indeed one option.
The documents were drafted and approved by Community Lincs and South Holland District Council respectively, not by me.
As a courtesy, I was supplied with a draft copy of these documents, but I had no involvement in their drafting.
I also supplied maps of the area and lists of roads within a ten minute walk time of the possible site for any chosen facility.
On behalf of the professional officers of both organisations, the writer owes them an apology, for questioning their impartiality.
Despite his previous profession, the writer continues to ignore the legal framework that made both the land and the financial contribution available in the first place.
A legal agreement, a section 106, was signed between South Holland and Allison Homes, the developer.
Allison Homes agreed to build a community centre on part of the public open space, adjacent to what is now the Wygate Academy School, nothing else.
A new section 106 legal agreement would be needed to use the money for anything else; something Kier, the new developer, does not have to do.
The steering group was formed in the hope that the community would either agree to seeing the proposed building managed by South Holland Community Church, on behalf of the community, or decide to form their own full blown community group, to take on the task.
For various reasons, the first option is now off of the table, in part at least, because of verbal aggression of the letter writer.
I also believe that vitriolic emails circulated by the letter writer, played a significant part in reducing the group’s membership.
The second option is still available to anybody wishing to take up the challenge.
The results of the community survey will become valuable evidence for any group when bidding for the additional grant funding, essential to making the project a success.
If you live in Wygate Park and are one of the 1,435 households to receive a survey, please take the time to read it and make up your own mind, as to whether or not a building is the only choice available.
Once you’ve seen for yourself that it isn’t, please do complete the survey and leave it outside your front door for collection on May 9. You can also complete the survey online.
Roger Gambba-Jones
South Holland district council Wygate ward candidate
