As he’s facing an election this summer, Bewdley’s Tory County Councillor, John Campion might consider whose side he is on – that of his constituents or that of Severn Trent Water and its contractor, Balfour Beatty. The rescheduling of the town centre water works to clash with the vital tourist season in the face of public opposition has inspired a furious reaction from the town’s leaders, yet Cllr Campion has dismissed warnings of business closures as over-reaction.
Until last month, Bewdley businesses understood that Balfour Beatty would re-commence work during the quiet winter months but instead, they announced ten weeks of road closures from April to July. Everyone agrees the work needs doing and accepts the inevitable upheaval but not then. Last year, Severn Trent agreed to avoid disrupting the tourist season, so why not in this especially difficult year? Even with offers to halt work during tourist events local businesses are saying they won’t survive. Cllr Campion, Worcester County Council’s Highways Dept, Severn Trent and Balfour Beatty seem to think that’s a risk worth taking.
“We have spoken to the appropriate parties including the highways department and the decision has been made that the programme should proceed as proposed,” says Balfour Beatty’s Customer Services Manager, Julie Maund in an email rejecting a public request to change the dates. Apparently, the opinions of the fifty angry members of the town council, Bewdley Development Trust, the Chamber of Trade, the business community and local residents who met at the Town Hall on the 2nd February are considered irrelevant. Indeed, one wonders if “appropriate parties” include anyone who actually lives and works in Bewdley?
All politicians have to make unpopular decisions but this seems to be a mistake that could threaten Bewdley’s fragile economy. If Cllr Campion, who is also the head of the Wyre Forest’s Tory District Council, wishes to retain his County Councillor’s allowance, perhaps he should remember who pays it.
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As I’ve submitted the above to the press, I’ve not altered it but in the light of subsequent events, I thought I should add this update…
Cllr Campion, having previously said that Bewdley’s business owners were “Doomsday sayers” (?) for suggesting they risked bankruptcy, has offered his support to the campaign to postpone the road work programme. However welcome this volte face might be, it comes rather late. Cllr Campion says that the County Council couldn’t refuse the planning application for works starting in April because they didn’t have a good reason to object!!!! Well, why didn’t he give them the reason that is so obvious to everyone else in Bewdley when it was discussed in the County Council – because it threatens the town’s economy?
He also says that the utilities involved in the works were forcing through the programme and the council had no say. This contradicts a well-substantiated rumour from one of the utilities that the council were blocking attempts to postpone the project. Where is Bewdley’s voice in that discussion?
What is critical here is that Bewdley’s businesses capitalise on the vital tourist season this year. But this episode does beg another question. If the town council and Richard Taylor MP, as elected representatives know what the issues are in Bewdley; and if as yet unelected activists like me are in touch with Bewdley’s business issues; and if the unelected bodies representing Bewdley such as the Bewdley Development Trust and the Chamber of Trade can unite behind this cause, why is the town’s County Council representative so out of touch?
I’m quite sure John Campion works his socks off trying to run Wyre Forest District Council but does that really leave him enough time to devote to Bewdley’s County Council needs? Isn’t it a bit like Boris Johnson trying to be Mayor of London and MP for Henley?
Neville Farmer
Parliamentary Spokesman, Wyre Forest Liberal Democrats
