Oxford-Cambridge expressway plans make a mockery of local democracy | Letters
The UK ‘consultation’ system is authoritarian and blind to community issues, says Christopher Tanner; other readers express concern about the plan’s housing implications and its effects on the countryside
George Monbiot’s article about the proposed Oxford-Cambridge expressway exposes how grand schemes are conceived and presented for “consultation” when only the trivial issues remain (These projects shape our lives. But we have no say in them, Journal, 22 August).
My work takes me to parts of the world often criticised for being undemocratic, where plans worked out behind closed doors and backed by powerful interest groups are indeed presented for “consultation”. This fait accompli approach fails to give people a real say, however, and gives a veneer of democratic accountability to projects with negative social and environmental impacts. Western governments express concern over how local rights are ignored in such places, but this is also happening here.
Source: Guardian Transport
<a href="Oxford-Cambridge expressway plans make a mockery of local democracy | Letters” target=”_blank”>Oxford-Cambridge expressway plans make a mockery of local democracy | Letters