Judging by the email (see below) that I received on Sunday from a fellow resident of Croydon, the council are doing their best to sweep such concerns "under the rug" without actually addressing the electorate's questions and concerns.
Breathtaking arrogance by anyone's standards!
Copy of email received Sunday:
"Dear Ken
Yesterday I attended, as part of my Residents' Association duties, a Neighbourhood Watch conference at Croydon Town Hall. One of the guest-speakers was one of "our Rulers" as Mike Fisher memorably styled them, Steve O'Connell (the Council's Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Crime Reduction).
Being too much of a gentleman (and also being under no illusions of getting a better answer, this time) I did not disturb his rosy picture of things by asking him again about the impact of the Arena on law and order and public safety (given that the police and the other services are already stretched at the best of times).
I say "again" since I did ask him before, when he was doing his rounds of the Borough with Mark Gore. The answer I got then was a classic example of evasion and "never mind the quality, feel the width":
- Since the Arena is not there (yet) the problems are only potential ones, so don't worry
- Why worry, anyway? Think rather of the regeneration and excitement that the Arena will bring to your town
That people are being paid out of my pocket to deliver such balls is bad enough, but do they actually believe it?
Now that really is frightening. Has no-one in authority thought at all about the adverse impact of the Arena? Or have they decided, blinded by all their "exciting vision" and "rebranding" stuff, that there isn't a problem?
That, to me, is quintessentially poor judgement and a dereliction of their duty to keep us safe.
I like your latest (today's) addition on catarena, by the way. With friends and allies like that, who needs enemies?
Best regards,"
Sign the petition against the arena via this link on the Number 10 website: Petition
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