PRESS RELEASE

13 May 2002

Ottaway calls on Croydon Council to reject Sainsburys in Selsdon

Following his call for the re-establishment of Purley and Coulsdon District Council, Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South has called on Croydon Council to reject Sainsburys' planning application in Selsdon (see letter below).

Richard Ottaway says:-

"The Leader of the Council, in rejecting my call for the re-establishment of Purley and Coulsdon District Council, says that the Labour Party is a Party for the whole of the Borough. The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

"Sainsburys have applied to build a supermarket in Selsdon which will do little to improve local facilities and will be catastrophic for local transport conditions. I challenge Cllr Malyan, if he says he has the interests of the South of the Borough at heart, to reject this application. If, contrary to the wishes of the South of the Borough, the Sainsburys development is allowed to go ahead, he should pledge that all the funds will be spent in the south of the Borough"

ends.

Cllr Hugh Malyan
Leader of Croydon Council
Town Hall
Katharine Street
Croydon

13 May 2002

Dear Cllr Malyan

I note that, in response to my suggestion that Purley and Coulsdon should break away from Croydon Council, you state that "the Labour Party is a party for all of the Borough…..". I put that line to the test.

Sainsburys have applied to build a supermarket in Selsdon. The overwhelming view is that this is an unnecessary development which will only exacerbate traffic chaos at peak times in Selsdon. If you genuinely have the interests of Selsdon at heart, I call on you to reject this application and prove that you represent the Borough as a whole.

If you let this scheme go ahead, I challenge you to pledge that all the sums paid by Sainsburys will be spent on projects in the South of the borough.

Yours sincerely