A warm welcome to your What's the point? campaign. Exposing insincere public consultation' on everything from local services to grand schemes is long overdue. Other newspapers should follow suit.
Some may call it cynical. We see it as a reaction to government and business trying to hookwink people too often.
The latest sham consultation' which deserves to be branded What's the point? is by the Mayor of London on the six lane Thames Gateway road bridge. Big claims have been made for this scheme but it's the only thing on offer take it or leave it.
What the Mayor is not telling people is how much extra traffic and pollution it will bring to Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham. The study of these and other effects will not be made public until after the consultation ends.
The Mayor says the road bridge is just a local crossing' costing a cool £425m.
But it would link to major roads and the M25, making it easier for people driving from far out to take any jobs and for more traffic to pack local roads.
There are better ways of spending this money to create jobs and regenerate the area without adding to current pollution and traffic levels.
For more on this damaging scheme and sham consultation freephone 0808 800 100 or see http://www.foe.co.uk/london
Paul de Zylva
SE London Friends of the Earth
Inchmery Road, Catford
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