Elmbridge B.C. try a news blackout on Stompond Lane

ELMBRIDGE councillors are set to impose a news blackout on any discussions and decisions about the Stompond Lane/Waterside Drive controversy.
The decision to prevent public scrutiny of their actions was taken at the meeting of the council’s Member Task Group on March 5.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Elmer. It was also attended by John O’Reilly, leader of the ruling Tory group and one of the driving forces behind the Waterside Drive plans. He is not a registered member of the working party.
The minutes of the meeting reveal that members “noted that the business of the task group was not subject to the Access to Information provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.
“That being the case, the infrormation received by the task group and their deliberations would not be open to the public.
“There was therefore a general expectation that future business would be kept confidential to the Task Group, subject to normal Freedom of Informatiion rules.”
Some councillors are known to have been disturbed by the revelation of a leaked letter from the council’s solicitors in a recent Surrey Herald which stated that “Plans have already been formulated with regards to development of the site (Stompond Lane) for residential purposes ( 115 dwellings can be accommodated on the site”
However in another local newspaper published the day before the Herald’s revelation John O’Reilly said the suggestion was “absolute rubbish” and totally untrue. He said: “There are absolutely no plans. We’ve set up a task group of councillors to deal with this and they’ve only had their first meeting so the notion that we’ve decided on any development, of any size, is preposterous and wholly without foundation.
“The council has decided absolutely nothing and would not do anything so arrogant. We have no firm ideas at this stage whatsoever.”
So completely opposite were those reports that it could only be surmised that one side or the other was being economical with the truth.
We will leave you to decide.