
Rock Action Group Better Wolverhampton For All
Donation protected

Our campaign is to deliver "A better Wolverhampton For All"
Specifically through our Rock Junction Action Plan:
- Solving ongoing traffic problems around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and for engagement by Wolverhampton Council
Our aims are to:
- Promote Our Action Plan (for improvement of safety)
- Protect the district from unsafe "A41 design" proposals
- Ensure the council works with us & acts properly
Funding is for for our campaign and appeal concerning traffic around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and traffic/environment concerns involving the greater area incl South Staffs and North Wolverhampton.
Funds are raised by Tettenhall District CIC on behalf of TDCT. Campaign spend is at the discretion of TDCT steering group/CIC Directors, subject to 2.5% Trust overheads. Residual Funds may be used for other Tettenhall Wards community interests.
The council has:
- Not responded democratically to our petition
- Not included consultation feedback in the "A41 design"
- Not complied with Gunning Principles of consultation
- Not followed their own petition scheme
- Not listened to residents
- Not changed anything in the "A41 Design"
- Maladministered the Rock Junction proposals
A donation would:
- Promote Our Action Plan
- Pressure Planning Authorities
- Provide Power For Legal Action
We held a public meeting on 17/Nov concerning Rock Junction proposals. See our video podcast of the issues raised at the meeting from The Express & Star, via Daily Motion here: https://dai.ly/x99ba64.
Neal Kelshaw, Chair Of TDCT Steering Group and Robin Hacking, Chair of our resident's committee (Tettenhall Community Forum) outlined our issues and actions raised, supporting The Rock Action Group of Tettenhall residents, turning out on a cold winter's day.
The meeting voted that:
• The Council Is In Maladministration - We have raised a stage 2 complaint to this effect now after the meeting.
• If we are not satisfied with the response from complaint we will go further, to other bodies outside the council such as Ombudsman and Judicial Review.
• That they approve Tettenhall District Community Trust to represent them in further engagement with the council - which includes our ward councillors on our steering group board.
Tettenhall residents, councillors, trust members and petitioners supported the Rock Action Group campaign for a "Better Wolverhampton For All" on 17/Nov
In our leaflet, and discussed at the meeting; we summarised that:
Our Rock Action Plan (the aims of which are copied below), which has uncontentious proposals for traffic and safety improvements, supported by our petition and verified by WCC Democratic Services, has not received a democratic reply.
The council chose to merge this with their own traffic proposals, now called "A41 Design". We were informed that the "A41 design" process includes our, and other residents consultation responses from the 6-week earlier consultation period. The Tettenhall Community Forum chased the council periodically until now, being told that; "the petition is largely contained within our proposals".
We had agreed further consultation and an "indicative forward plan" at the Ward Walk. The council keeps Forward Plans on its website of future activity. We have not received such a plan.
The action plan contains a required approach to consider; solutions for traffic abuse at the Rock Junction, and its immediate surrounds, which requires close working with the Police, WMPCC to look for technology and enforcement solutions.
The action plan includes objective proposals for improving traffic performance considering the width of pavements on The Rock/Henwood Road corner, and improved pedestrian safety for improved access to Smestow Valley, avoiding crossing the road.
The action plan refers to mandatory legislation concerning health and safety and pollution and business, social and environmental impacts that both the baseline business case and any chosen solutions must be assessed against, and these include mandatory planning policies in the Tettenhall Neighbourhood Plan 2014, itself adopted by the council.
The council proceeded "in secrecy" according to the Birmingham Mail with an "independent analysis" with external consultants, and have refused an FOI request of the scope of the study. We have already raised a stage 1 complaint and internal review request, which we are dissatisfied with the outcome of.
By asking a public question of the full council meeting on 06/Nov we then received a partial release of documentation, but with an unacceptable process not allowing for "intelligent consideration", also showing that "conscientious determination" has not occurred. Our aims are not within the scope of the documentation. The response, webcast of which is copied below, stated that "members of the public will have a chance to ask questions after the completion of the independent study". But not that the petition would be responded to, contrary to the council's petition process.
There is no change to the scope of the "A41 design" and we can find no proof of inclusion of any prior consultation, and fundamental issues have been watered down to be merely considered as questions for clarification, not as being of equal merit or stature for proposals, as they should be.
Councillor Wendy Thompson told us that the council are still not properly engaging with other transport bodies and local councils, such as Combined Authority Transport Planning (Midlands Connect), and South Staffs Council to consider full term solutions, which should be supported by Civil Infrastructure Levies as contributions, leaving us with a "sticking plaster" solution as proposed.
The campaign supports The Rock Action group in Tettenhall who have stated that Wolverhampton City Council are "Losing Trust In The Community" and Tettenhall Community Forum have "No Faith In The Council" over their approach to the Rock Junction action plan, their handling of traffic proposal process, plus the avoidance of responsibility to broader issues, leaving safety and heritage concerns a great concern for the district.
Funding is for for our campaign and appeal concerning traffic around The Rock Junction, its immediate surrounds and traffic/environment concerns involving the greater area incl South Staffs and North Wolverhampton.
Funds are raised by Tettenhall District CIC on behalf of TDCT. Campaign spend is at the discretion of TDCT steering group/CIC Directors, subject to 2.5% Trust overheads. Residual Funds may be used for other Tettenhall Wards community interests.
A better Wolverhampton for all.
See tdcic.org.uk

Organiser

Tettenhall District CIC
Organiser