Writing to Zack Polanski Green GLA member for support

Email to Zack Polanski Green GLA member

 Dear Zack

I am writing as part of a cross party team campaigning against the Tesco Toxic Towers taking Redbridge Council to court on the issue. I will be sending you a twitter video requesting help with the stop the Tesco Toxic Towers permission for judicial review hearing on 14th February.

GLA members Sian, Keith and Hina have been helpful to our campaign per the link The dash to build for London's homeless must not be at the expense of child health (stopthetescotoxictowers.blogspot.com)

The focus of the hearing will be be whether the council acted unlawfully by not considering air filters for the primary school proposed for the development per the plan attached. The flats adjacent to the school have air filters to the seventh floor to protect families against air pollution. .

At a December 16th High Court hearing Redbridge Council and Weston Homes (Tesco's developer) agreed to cap cost at £15K if they were to win because this claim falls under the Aarhus Treaty. This is a treaty which says applicants who bring environmental claims must be protected against prohibitive legal costs if they win.

Weston Homes have reneged on the deal agreed on the 16th December per the attached skeleton argument and now seek uncapped costs. If Weston win uncapped costs, it seems we will have to drop the claim as the costs will be very large were the case to go the Supreme Court.

I have written to you because you moved a cross party motion supporting Ella's law. Redbridge Council is undermining Ella's law by: 1) saying schools can be sited by busy roads, even when they could have been sited inside the development away from the worst pollution 2) not providing air filters to protect pupils.

You might agree with me that Ella's law needs amending to say councils must not allow new schools by busy roads and if they have to grant permission that air filters must be provided.

Any help you could provide would be much appreciated. Three things come to mind;

1) A supportive comment on twitter or on a press release.

2) Meeting us outside court, although I do not know the time until the afternoon of the 13th.

3) Organising an ideally cross party press conference this week on the issue. If we lose and our barrister says any appeal would be pointless, it would be great if you could support the suggested amendment to Ella's law. If we win a full hearing your help would still be very valuable.

This email is completely my own and should not be taken to have the support of any of the other campaign supporters. Sam Tarry is not supporting the Judicial review as yet and other GLA members have been copied in the hope they will be supportive.

Cllr Athwal is copied in case he wishes to comment.

Regards

Andy