TfL branded 'cowardly'

1:31pm Friday 20th April 2007

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A PACKED hall of concerned residents felt insulted last night, when the director of the West London Tram project pulled out of a meeting at the last minute.

Christopher Dean was due to discuss plans to reintroduce a two-way system in two Hanwell roads at the Hobbayne centre on Lower Boston Road.

“It was an insult to the people who turned up. It was cowardly.”

Ealing Council leader Jason Stacey

More than 200 people turned up to learn what TfL's plans for Boston road and Lower Boston Road.

But as the meeting was about to begin it was announced that Mr Dean had pulled out amid fears that the meeting would turn into an "anti-tram lobby".

Bridget Holmstrom, co-chair of the Old Hanwell Residents' Association, who called the meeting, told the Ealing Times: "I only found out while I was on my way here at about 6.30pm.

"It really doesn't look good - it reflects badly on TfL and it makes the tram look bad.

"He wouldn't have had such a hard time here. We just want to see some evidence for what they are saying and we want to know what is going on.

"All he has managed to achieve by not turning up is to upset a lot of people."

And Wendy Weston, the other co-chair, added: "This is the first time this hall has been used for one of our public meetings and I don't think it has ever seen an event like this.

"It's absolutely packed from new-born babies to older people. It's just not nice that they didn't come down here."

The meeting was called because of concerns over a two-way system which was removed in 1970 because it was dangerous.

The meeting went ahead and heard concerns from residents that the system would restrict the ambulance route, damage local business and be dangerous for children at local school St Marks.

There were also speeches from Bridget Holmstrom, Ealing Council leader Jason Stacey and Ealing Council's tram objection manager Christopher Harding.

Challenging the reason that there was an anti-tram lobby at the meeting Cllr Stacey (Con, Greenford Green) asked everyone who lived within a quarter of a mile from the area to raise their hands - with nearly 100 per cent doing so.

The meeting also heard TfL had pulled out because Jason Stacey was going to be there and the press had been invited.

Talking to the Ealing Times Cllr Stacey said: "If they had told me that my presence here would be a problem I would have pulled out.

"Everyone knows what my stance on the tram is - today was about getting information to the local people.

"It was an insult to the people who turned up. It was cowardly."

But TfL hit back saying it was not informed Jason Stacey would be there and said it would reschedule the event.

TfL spokesman Graham Goodwin said: "We basically plan to reorganise at the earliest opportunity.

"We want to hear the views of the residents' association, particularly on the proposed traffic changes in Boston Road and Lower Boston Road.

"We believe the meeting format had changed and far from being a meeting with just the residents' association there was a rather different set of people on the guest list.

"We weren't informed Councillor Stacey was being invited. But the clear thing is the meeting has just been postponed, not cancelled.

"We want to hear the views of the residents and let them hear ours but it became pretty clear what we were going to be met with at the meeting."