It’s the , ecology, stupid
Ploughing the M74 across Glasgow will be an environmental disaster. Will Jess says you can do something about it at the polling station next month.
rnagine a well—known big company planned to
knock down homes for a deyelopment that would
add heaps to local pollution and climate-change emissions.
Suppose this lirm. responding to concern from local communities. hired a planning expert to convene a public hearing which evaluated the pros and cons of the development. ('onsider what would happen if »— after weeks of testimony and evidence — the hearings outcome said: '()n balance. this scheme is a bad idea.’
One might expect an appeal but just think about a situation where the company behind the development simply ignored the findings of the inquiry and declared the project would go forward regardless.
There would he justifiable outrage. This scenario is. of course. essentially what the Scottish lixecutive has done with its plan to build the L'Stlllm M74 northern extension through (ilasgow. And just as people would not stand by and allow private industry to run roughshod over planning decisions. nor shall opponents of this misguided and harmful motorway sit by and allow it to go on unchallenged.
The decision to go forward with the controversial M74 announced on a bank holiday weekend (a good day to bury bad news) —— was a sad day for all of Scotland. Anyone who cares about the health of (ilaswegians and the global environment should be appalled. ()n so many levels it is outrageous — but alas entirely consistent with the foul state of affairs.
The construction of the M74 ignores everything we have learned in the past 4() years about pollution created by road traffic.
We are not helpless. l5irst remember that all the established parties support this outdated scheme. Anyone who cares for the em'ironment should withhold their vote from the traditional parties at the general election.
.lam74 believes it may have grounds for legal action. but we must act quickly. Taking any decision to court costs thousands of pounds. We estimate that our legal defence fund needs over £3l).()()(). Two pounds from every person who reads this might ensure a successful action in court.
The lixecutive's case is patently full of holes — from its traffic redttction figures to its job creation projections — and the findings and conclusions of the inquiry's report clearly identified them. This is no doubt why the government withheld the report from the
OVER
public for months on end. When I used the Freedom of
lnforrnation act to try and pry the findings and conclusions from the Executive. the government refused. claiming that it ‘would. or would be likely to.
inhibit substantially the free and frank exchange of
views'. ls this not language worthy of Orwell's novels'.’ Frankly. the government did not want the public to
10 THE LIST 31—2“ AC' 233:"
‘PRIVATE INDUSTRY CAN'T RUN ROUGHSHOD
PLANNING DECISIONS'
hear the report's damning conclusions. .-\nd don't be taken in by the notion that the head of the inquiry was not qualified: Mr Richard Hickman got a (‘Bli for his work in the go\'et‘ttlttelit\ reports unit. In fact he is more qualified than lords liraser. Hutton. et al. whose pronouncements are hallowed by the establishment. This is. in part. what Hickman concluded verbatim: ° The presence of the new road. largely elevated. would increase community severance. ° Most of the jobs that the new motorway would attract to the area would be drawn away from other locations in Scotland. at the expense of those areas. 0 The benefits of the new road would be progressively eroded by the continuing traffic growth. 0 The policy in support of environmental justice would be breached by the proposed road. 0 (liven the (iovernment commitment to redtrce greenhouse gas emissions. the increased emissions resulting from the extra traflic generated by the new road would he a step in the wrong direction. That's not the half of it. But let‘s look at what we are facing and move forward. If and when legal avenues are
exhausted. we know that hundreds of
people will engage in non-violent direct
been presented with alternatives to this motorway. so it should come as no surprise that they may take extraordinary actions to try and stop it.
Where are the initiatives in public transport that could make a difference? Where are the concrete proposals to reduce greenhouse gasses'.’ They don‘t exist and it',‘ damn well time that they should. To paraphrase the old Bill (‘linton mantra: it’s the ecology. stupid.
Will Jess is chair of Jam74. To contribute towards a legal challenge, mail a cheque made out to Jam74 to PO Box 3751, Glasgow, G42 2AL. For more information log on to www.jam74.org.
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