Public meeting to help prepare case for inquiry Local residents and campaigners opposed to the new Tyne Tunnel are meeting on Wednesday 5th February at the Jarrow Community Centre at 7.45pm [1] to help prepare the case they will present at the public inquiry which starts in less than a month’s time. The meeting has been organised by the Tyne Crossings Alliance, a coalition of groups opposing the new Tyne Tunnel [2].

The meeting is an opportunity for local residents to explain their opposition to the proposed tunnel and brief local people who will be speaking at the public inquiry.

Tyne Crossings Alliance Co-ordinator and local resident Paul Winch said:
"We object very strongly to the PTA's putting out this tunnel proposal for years as if it is a foregone conclusion. It is nothing of the kind, and there are local, regional and national reasons why it is wrong and should be stopped. This meeting will enable various perspectives on the proposal to be explained and discussed".

Epinay Estate resident Joanne Kirby said:
“We know there are lots of people in Jarrow who don’t want the new Tyne Tunnel to be built. We want them to come along tonight and tell us why. When we speak against the tunnel at the public inquiry we want to represent the views of the whole community”.

South Tyneside Friends of the Earth campaigner Bryan Atkinson said:
“Opposition to the new road tunnel goes far beyond Jarrow. The meeting will show the local residents that they aren’t fighting on their own. Local, regional and national organisations such as Friends of the Earth, CPRE and Transport 2000 will be helping Jarrow residents defeat this expensive and ineffective solution to Tyneside’s traffic and jobs problems”.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] The Community Centre is in Cambrian Street in Jarrow, opposite Morrison’s car park.

[2] The members of the Tyne Crossings Alliance are CPRE, Friends of the Earth, the Green Party, Living Streets, Railfuture RoadPeace, Transport 2000 and Tynebikes, The Alliance accepts that there are transport and jobs problems on Tyneside, but wants to make the proposers of the tunnel scheme investigate more effective, safer and more environmentally friendly solutions to these problems