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Alliance dirty tricks stifle freedom of speech and taint local politics
Tories must hold their nerve on theatre vote that could boost economy
Times LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
EDITORIAL COMMENT
TODAY this newspaper publishes background details on the campaigning tactics of the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, the political party launched with one aim stopping the £108million theatre and civic complex project. Such a move would mean more than £10million of taxpayers’ money has been wasted; some of it spent on unsubstantiated Alliance objections. Pressing ahead with the development would leave the council with around £250million in saleable assets and provide an estimated £35million in additional economic benefit to the area. The three people leading the theatre protests, and driving a campaign of intimidation against anyone who dares not share their views, are all so called ‘NIMBYS’ living on the doorstep of the planned site of Calverley Square.
Alliance Cllr Nick Pope was in favour of the scheme until his wife bought a nearby apartment. He has named the Tory councillors he will attack at the May elections if they do not back him. Alliance social media activist Francis Harris has been banned from a community website for his comments. He claims to have worked at the Courier newspaper although no one remembers him. And then there’s Alliance Chairman Robert Chris whose arguments have been repeatedly dismissed by inde-
pendent experts. He even wrote to auditors Grant Thornton attacking them for not finding fault with the council plans for the new theatre and branded their actions ‘utterly disgraceful’ and likely to cause ‘severe embarrassment.’ Those who publicly support the theatre immediately incur the wrath of the Alliance and its supporters. Last week the Times carried a story quoting the Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra James Williams on the benefits of a new theatre. Within days he received a letter taking him to task and warning his stance would
do ‘very little for his reputation.’ Former banker Richard Powell was also attacked for his pro-theatre views and had an Alliance supporter contact his employer suggesting he was setting a poor example to young people. Another target for the protestors was touring theatre manager Matt Elesmore who was bombarded with 200 hate mes-
‘Resident bombarded with 200 hate messages after coming out in support of new theatre’ sages including one that said he should ‘just go and die’. Alliance Chairman Robert Chris suggested Mr Elesmore ‘might want to reconsider’ his opinions. The Times is aware of other local business people who have been targeted by the Alliance. Most do not want to be named. At least one subsequently withdrew his pub-
DECISION Calverley Square is the Council’s biggest investment in a generation
Continued on pages 2/4/5/6 and 22
Parents of Skinners’ pupil call for change in law By Richard Williams THE parents of a Crowborough teenager are calling for a change in the law following the death of their son who died while celebrating his 18th birthday after eating a chicken burger. Owen Carey collapsed and died on April 22, 2017 after suffering a fatal reaction to buttermilk that had been coated on to the meat at upmarket burger chain, Byron.
The Skinners’ prefect had been celebrating with his girlfriend when he ordered the item from the restaurant at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London. He had told staff about his allergy but was not informed the burger contained milk products, and was ‘reassured’ by no mention of the allergic ingredient on the menu. The A-level student, who had been offered a place at Swansea University, collapsed next to the London Eye less
ALLERGY Owen Carey
than an hour after eating the burger and was rushed to St Thomas’ Hospital where he was pronounced dead after suffering a cardiac arrest. Following an inquest last week [Friday September 13] in which a coroner ruled the restaurant had met industry standards in terms of the wording on the menu, the teenager’s parents called for a change of food legislation under
Continued on page 2