Obsidian Consultation at Durning Hall 16/11/11

Obsidian's final (?) public consultation seemed to be quite well attended today. Some of us spent some time handing out 'Save Forest Gate' flyers and asking people to sign a petition opposing the regeneration plans. Most people passing by on Woodgrange Road seemed, predictably perhaps, uninterested. However a substantial minority were definitely interested, some in favour, some opposed, and some strong opinions were expressed.

I was surprised at the amount of misinformation I heard, for example:

One woman asking people to fill in a Local Consultation firm firmly told me and others that there was no Conservation Area in Woodgrange Road, and refused to believe me when I explained that there is. See 'Forest Gate Town Centre Conservation Area' on this page on the Council website for a map of the Conservation Area that contains a large portion of the regeneration area.

Someone else told us that the Methodist Church is to be demolished. It isn't, but the church hall is under threat see FAQ number 10.

A man who lives in the regeneration area assured me that Obsidian cannot obtain Compulsory Purchase Orders as it would not be in the public interest. The truth is that the Council has already given itself Compulsory Purchase powers conditional on acceptance of the Obsidian plan. The meeting where this decision was made is recorded here.

There seem to be several local groups either gathering information about local attitudes to the regeneration scheme or asking people to sign petitions. I hope we can unify our forces, assuming we can find enough common ground.

Here's the flyer we were handing out today: