Tories under fire for gravel pits hypocrisy (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

South West Surrey Liberal Democrats <info@swsurreylibdems.org.uk>

Tories under fire for gravel pits hypocrisy

March 10, 2005 6:38 PM

Conservatives are hiding the truth from local people about their decision at County Hall to include three Farnham areas in new pits list.

Farnham Conservatives have been accused of 'mind-boggling hypocrisy' for distributing a leaflet that claims they are fighting against three new gravel pits in the Farnham area - ignoring the fact that it is the Conservative Executive committee at Surrey County Council that has placed the three sites in the list for new pits.

The leaflet which carries the heading "Fight The Quarries" includes Farnham South county councillor David Munro opposing the pits, despite the fact that he is a member of the Conservative Executive at Surrey that has placed then on the list.

Simon Cordon described the Tory leaflet as 'mind-boggling hypocrisy'. Simon wrote to Mr Munro's Executive colleague responsible for the Environment at Surrey, which includes the controversial new pits list, David Davis, asking for an explanation for the difference between the opposition claimed by the Conservative party in Farnham and the decisions made by the Conservative Executive at Surrey.

Mr Davis has not replied.

The controversial three sites are extensions at Alton Road in Wrecclesham and Runfold in South Farnham, and a massive new pit planned for Monkton Lane in Badshot Lea.

To add insult to injury, the Tory leaflet contains a photo of David Munro with fellow Tory councillor, Pat Frost, allegedly visiting "the Monkton Lane Quarry". "They must be time-lords", said Simon Cordon, "as there is no Monkton Lane quarry at present - that's what we are fighting to stop. Have the Tories basically decided that it will go ahead, come what may, hence why they are imagining its there when its not?"

"It just shows how shallow the Tories' concern is. Someone in their office has just assumed that a quarry already exists at Monkton Lane when it doesn't", he said.

Simon commented: "This leaflet is the worst kind of opportunism from the local Conservatives. It's their Executive at Surrey that put these areas on the list for new pits and it's their Executive who could have chosen not to. The Tories are facing one way locally and another at County Hall. If they are serious about supporting our campaign to get these areas removed from their pits list then they can do so at the next Executive meeting at County Hall in March. In my letter to David Davis that is what I have asked him to do. We shall see how serious they are or whether their leaflet is just opportunism".