Press Release - 06 August
2006
Robert Fisher replies
to Elaine Turner after receiving her letter on 05 August 2006
Elaine Turner
Client Services Manager
Lincolnshire County Council
Technical Services Partnership
Witham Park House
Waterside South
Lincoln LN5 7JN
6 August 2006
Dear Elaine
YOUR REF: ET/BBEG/PMF
Dated 3 August 2006
Thank you for your letter dated 3 August 2006, received 5 August
2006. (Click
here to read the letter)
We are pleased that you will be publishing these questions
and answers on your project website – we will certainly
be placing them on our BBEG website, as they seem to highlight
several discrepancies between what we have been told before
and what you are telling us now?
Question 2
At the meeting held with David Woods and the Transport Strategy
team on 13 July 2006, I asked for a copy of the Contract between
Lincolnshire County Council and Jacobs Babtie. His response
was that we had it – referring to the Study Brief given
to the Stakeholders Reference Group members. I stated in response
that we wanted to see the actual Contract between the two parties,
to confirm firstly the total cost of the Transport Study and
secondly what restrictions/limitations had been imposed by Lincolnshire
County Council.
For example, who decided the scope of the study, what was to
be included and excluded? We certainly had no input into that
decision. Nor do we believe did any Boston Borough Councillor?
Why did Jacobs Babtie have to ask for more money to fund a “rat
run” count when this should have been a priority and why
was only one day sampled and not all the roads designated?
Had the ‘will’ been there to prove a good case
for Boston, enough funds should have been made available to
firstly do the Transport Study justice and secondly justify
spending such a large sum of money – we still have not
had it confirmed, but understand it amounts to approximately
£400,000?
I’m sure Jacobs Babtie would not have entered into an
agreement with Lincolnshire County Council without a formal
Contract?
Question 3
At the Dock Link Road Inquiry, you told the Inquiry Inspector
that funds could not be transferred. Your letter now states,
“…if the monies were to be transferred…”
You are also now telling us that there is a time limit of December
2006 for placing of orders – just 4 months away.
Surely this highlights inaccuracies in what was said at the
Dock Link Road Inquiry and demonstrates once again how Lincolnshire
County Council have wasted valuable time in finding a solution
to Boston’s urgent traffic congestion?
If EMDA funding was granted on the basis of economic regeneration
it would not take much evidence to prove the case if the ‘will’
was there. If you are in any doubt please ask the retailers
and businesses in Boston.
Question 4
Once again, you are now stating that a bypass could be built
in sections, but pointing out that for cost reasons, it would
be harder to demonstrate value for money if it were in fact
to be built in sections.
We state again that Lincoln bypasses are being built in sections.
If you are saying this is not value for money, then we certainly
would object to these projects going ahead when more urgent
congestion, pollution and safety issues need road prioritisation
in Boston.
The designation of any proposed road as a bypass or distributor
road is immaterial in the case of Boston. The route would follow
the same path. The only road being crossed which could be left
out of a bypass is the B1193 and traffic from this road could
easily reach the junction on the A16. The costly stage, the
A1121 to A16, could be built with the help of section 106 funding.
The offer is on the table. Why is this not being pursued?
We would disagree with your statement that due to inflation,
costs would be an issue to build a bypass in stages. Paying
for the first section now would mean lower costs for the first
section than waiting for 10 years and paying for the whole bypass
at once.
The issue here is quite clearly you have one rule for Lincoln
and another for Boston. This is simply not acceptable to us.
We look forward to receiving your response to our comments and
a copy of the Contract between Lincolnshire County Council and
Jacobs Babtie.
A copy of this letter will be given to the Local Government
Ombudsman, who has assured us that an investigator will be assigned
as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
