Councillor hits back in West Herts College row (From Watford Observer)
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Councillor hits back in West Herts College row
11:40am Thursday 18th March 2010 in
A senior councillor has hit back in the ongoing development row with West Herts College, accusing its principal of “denigrating local residents.”
Councillor George Derbyshire has led a campaign against the college’s decision to erect three large chimneys at its new Hempstead Road campus – just metres from many back gardens in Cassiobury Drive.
Those chimneys, which residents claim billow fumes into their gardens, were ruled unlawful at a planning meeting last month, when a retrospective application was rejected.
In last week’s Watford Observer, college principal Elizabeth Rushton accused local residents of using their council connections to make “wild and unfounded” accusations against the college.
Councillor Derbyshire, writing this week, was forceful in his response. He said: “It is unacceptable for her to seek to denigrate local residents for seeking help from their local councillor…
“Responding to residents’ legitimate concerns is what local councillors are all about.”
Councillor Derbyshire’s complete letter will be published in tomorrow’s Watford Observer.
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RobBob says...
9:43pm Tue 23 Mar 10
Were the plans originally passed because of the ground heat pumps being environmentally a good choice- probably but who cares when the plans are approved? It is interesting to note the council officers suggested the new retrospective planning be passed. They seem to do a lot of this- missing the views of the people and always taking the side of the developers.