Cruise Terminal Update
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Last week we lost the first leg of the battle to call a 'time out' on the cruise liner development.
As you all know, we were campaigning to have the Council review the significant air quality issues
and the aggressive over-development of the site. It was a marathon session, the vote eventually coming through at about 10.30pm, after an evening of passionate representations from the local community. The plans were approved six votes to three, with one abstention, and after a motion calling for approval to be deferred which was narrowly
defeated by six votes to five.
We just wanted to express a sincere thanks to all EGRA members who fought and worked so hard to try to make a difference.
Whether you sent a letter or signed a petition, you should be proud of your involvement in trying to
make East Greenwich a better place to live.
We also wanted to express a special thanks to all those who attended the meeting last week and sat
through over three hours of debate in a very hot room.
Finally to all those who got up to speak on behalf of residents; thank you so much for the time and
dedication put into that task.
We will all keep working to give the community a voice on this issue and we are keeping the
pressure up. We have issued freedom of information requests to secure the developer's viability
studies and consultants' reports on cruise liner operations and modelling on pollutant emissions.
On the planning side, Greenwich's decision now goes before the Mayor. We have written to the Mayor to ask him to call in or reject the decision. We are also working closely with Greenwich society, Tower Hamlets residents and the Greens to coordinate our efforts going forward. Thanks to our MP Matthew Pennycook for raising air quality issues and for supporting our efforts to get a decision deferred.
There will be more updates on the fall-out from this particular campaign over the next few weeks.
For more info on what happened at the planing Board meeting please read the 853 article on the night Greenwich Council ignored air pollution - again.
