LANCASTER UNIVERSITY EXPANSION UPDATE

Jarvis plc, Lancaster University and the City Council want to expand the university southwards on to green fields. 1750 new residencies are going to be built, increasing the university built-up area by about a third. It is the largest PFI scheme in the country. Galgate and Ellel residents object to the scheme; it will destroy the countryside. It will diminish the open space between the uni and the village. It is effectively ribbon development - the plan must be understood in conjunction with other urbanisation projects between the university and the city. The nearest house is just 150 yards from the proposed Barker House complex. People believe surface water run off from the university causes floods. Since the previous expansion in 1993, there have been at least three major floods here. Residents are also concerned about increased traffic caused by this development blocking local lanes, or causing hold ups and accidents on the already overloaded main A6 road. The flats will be leased to Jarvis for 35 years. Students have expressed the view that rents will be increased.

Previous report 16th June 2002:

 http://www.uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=33957&group=webcast

DELAY
Campaigners against the expansion went to the Jarvis City Council planning committee meeting on 22nd July in Morecambe Town Hall. Several residents spoke, including campaigner Helena Todd, and Mrs Pat Yates, who is generally the first to be flooded when Ou Beck bursts its banks. The residents were timed with an annoying and offputting beeper, but the speaker from the university was allowed to over run by 52 seconds. As a further indication of the council's pro-Jarvis bias, a video camera and TV monitors were used to show the plans and fancy drawings of the proposed buildings. We did not see a similar slide show or video about the floods. At this meeting, Tories, Greens and the Independent were agin' it, Labour for. The majority of the councillors expressed grave misgivings about the scheme, but were too scared to throw it out outright, and so merely delayed it.

GALGATE MEETING
On Tuesday 20th August, Lancaster Jarvis plc Council held a Public Relations meeting in the Stoney Lane Institute, Galgate. Swarms of dark suited, blue shirted clones from the Forces of Mordor were lined up with all their piles of glossy brochures and plans. The general message was that the green field concrete-over would be beneficial for wildlife and the area. Alan Whitaker from the University Council chaired the meeting, and Clive Crawford PR for Jarvis spoke, but lost his audience completely when he claimed there had been a 20% reduction in traffic. He got visibly rattled when the audience reacted against this, he looked worried, his voice dropped and the rest of his presentation came over as a mumbled rush. There were pointed questions from the various Mr Angries and Mrs Intransigents in the audience. Even some polite old ladies were barracking them by the end.

WORLD'S FIRST UNSINKABLE UNIVERSITY
Much of the talk centred on drainage, with the Jarvisuniversity claiming all the water goes down a pipe into the River Conder. There was a staggering and outrageous claim that the university would have the ability to control the waters' rate of flow! which offers a hostage to fortune. (No doubt the engineers on the Titanic too, thought they could 'control the rate of flow')

SKEWED TRAFFIC SURVEY
There was some arguments about traffic, both from the proposed A6 link road 'Anyone who thinks there is less traffic is barmy' said one angry resident, loudly. David Jones, a man from the engineers' department explained that the traffic reduction claim came from a survey taken in May 1993 and nine years later, at hardly the busiest time of the year, but only related to the main entrance, thus ignoring the back entrance and local lanes. They can't have it both ways. Claims of traffic reduction contradict the Jarvisuniversity's stated need for a new A6 link road.

PORTAKABIN ROAD BLOCKERS
Site traffic using Chapel Lane was also a source of argument, where a portakabin lorry from other university development work recently got stuck on the narrow sharp bend, blocking the road for several hours. People questioned the Jarvisuniversity plan to build a massive earth bank 'screen' round the development, calculated to make this green field build-over even more of an obtrusive eyesore.

'IT TAKES JUST AN HOUR FROM THE RAIN STARTING FOR MY HOUSE TO FLOOD' - Mrs Yates, Meadow Park resident
Behind the scenes, people are saying the proposal will go through on the nod in the council meeting scheduled for 27th August. There is a residents' proposal to establish a legal fund to sue when the next flood comes. There are calls for more robust, continuous campaigning by the Green Party and locals to protect all the green fields south of Lancaster. Despite the Jarvisuniversity denials, there is a persistant rumour that more run-off from the university goes into the Ou Beck than is admitted. The lie of the land confirms this, and certainly those flood waters have to come from somewhere. Their proposed 'lagoon' used to manage the run-off, was seen as inadequate, it would fill up, but just overflow, as rains here are heavy, and sustained over periods of weeks, during the winter. For about half the year, the land is saturated. People have no faith in the Jarviscity Council PR spin. There is a suggestion campaigners produce a postcard of the threatened green fields, with a 'Say Goodbye' message printed over it. For the university, it is turning into a public relations Chernobyl...