Wellingborough public exhibition leaves major questions unanswered for tree protesters

This may have been one of the most farcical events that has been witnessed in this journalist’s long career. An event which one councillor was initially told they couldn’t enter, a ‘drop-in’ session that asked people to register for tickets and members of the press who were told they could not ask questions, take photos or record video or audio of the public event.

For the first time since it emerged an avenue of much-loved Wellingborough trees was to be chopped down, last night residents came face-to-face with the ‘men in suits’ responsible for putting the plans into action.

After sustained protests and defiance against the lime felling in London Road, Stanton Cross LLP, the developer behind the £1bn housing estate, eventually agreed to a ‘pause’ in proceedings and to host a ‘public information exhibition’.

Previously more than 220 people attended a meeting held by Wellingborough Town Council to which neither Stanton Cross nor North Northants Council sent a representative It meant it was not surprising then that people were eager to see what information they could glean from the highly-anticipated event.

Thoughts that there would be any meaningful engagement were dashed as only two of the eight of the pop-up banners dotted around the venue showed more detailed plans for the area that had previously sparked protests.

With one member of staff per pop-up residents filled the Swanspool Pavilion – an appropriate location as the Wellingborough Walks can be seen from the windows.

A mass vocal show of support for the trees preceded the 6pm kick-off. Those who had waited patiently in the rain poured into the exhibition and surrounded the Stanton Cross staff to grill them with a barrage of queries.

After listening to answers to members of the public, this reporter also posed a question – on behalf of our thousands of readers – and was told they were not allowed to ask questions. A member of public suggested they could ask one on the reporter’s behalf. ‘No’ came the reply.

Even the BBC Northampton reporter wanting information to prepare a bulletin for the breakfast show was not allowed to take a photo of the maps and plans to allow him to report the facts accurately.

Earlier in the day Wellingborough Town Councillors had been invited to a preview of the plans and sworn to secrecy.

Cllr Marion Turner-Hawes, co-leader of save the trees campaigner Wellingborough Walks Action Group, had been told by a member of Stanton Cross staff that her presence would be a conflict of interest. Another councillor intervened to prevent her being barred.

She said: “I came to the session held for town councillors, but the gentleman there on site said that because I personally was threatening them with legal action, which I am not personally doing, he felt that I had a conflict of interest and that I shouldn’t go in.”

Cllr Turner-Hawes’ Wellingborough ward covers much of the Stanton Cross area and London Road.

She said: “I had every right to go in. It was very upsetting, it was very unpleasant and there was no need for it. At the end of the day it’s all about information. If the information we’ve been asking for as a community is provided and they prove what they are claiming, then the problem disappears. I don’t want the community to have to go to court but they should help to resolve the problem.”

Asked about her verdict on the event she added: “There were important things to see and I just don’t know why that information isn’t shared in the public domain.”

Each person attending the event was given a feedback form to fill asking what planting enhancements they would like to see.

Some attendees were horrified to see a second question asking how they would like to see ‘timber generated from clearance works repurposed’.

Campaigner Martine Kinsgley, sporting a Save Our Trees T-shirt, said: “I looked at the banners but I haven’t talked to any of the people. The questionnaire is insulting – asking what we want to do with the timber.”

Sarah Pearson said: “This exercise should have happened years ago. This is chaotic – it’s too little, too late. There’s a lot of angry people in this room.”

Stanton Cross resident Darren Michael said: “I think it’s great that they have put this on for the residents to see. I don’t think anyone is happy to see the trees coming down but new houses are going to create more traffic. The developer has to listen – even if they can save 10 to 15 trees. The Embankment could be so much nicer so let’s get as much as possible out of them.”

In response to the 13 written ‘valid’ questions posed to Stanton Cross regarding the development a summary of their position was given, asking it to be used in full in coverage.

A director for Stanton Cross said: “Stanton Cross is delivering thousands of new homes for Wellingborough, many designated as affordable housing for local people, as well as contributing more than £200 million to infrastructure improvements and bringing benefits such as a new primary school, the creation of parks and green space – with 390 trees already planted and more to come – and the provision of an additional platform and pedestrian footbridge at the railway station.

“The exhibition is an opportunity to share the progress of these wider plans, talk to local people and outline the role that the delivery of Route 2 plays in this. The works to enable Route 2 are part of legal, approved plans granted by the Borough Council of Wellingborough in 2008 and in delivering these plans we will listen to local concerns and are committed to working with the authorities to minimise the extent of the loss of existing trees and vegetation. This event is a key part of that.”