AS just over 50 people braved the cold in the latest protest rally opposing Warrington Borough Council’s controversial Central 6 Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes, campaign organisers announced they were now standing down.
Central 6 Campaign spokesperson Rachel Harper said: “We saw over fifty people turn up to our peaceful protest demonstration outside the full council meeting on Monday evening.
“While we are thankful to each and every person who turned up, especially those who do time and time again, we do have to be honest and say we’re not seeing the numbers we need to be able to make the impact we want. We have a Facebook group of around 6000 people, most of who have spoken up strongly in opposition against the LTNs (Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme).
“Yet the majority of these people don’t seem to want to put their concerns into action. Of course, we understand people have commitments that are hard to get out of, such as work, medical appointments etc.. However, I still believe given the level of opposition we should be seeing a larger crowd at these types of events.
“There is only so much that the admin team can do when setting up these events and the personal sacrifice it takes in terms of time, energy and balancing everything else is actually larger than a lot of people realise. Therefore, myself and fellow admins Steph and Jayne have taken the difficult but right decision to step down from leading this campaign in the future.
“In an ideal world we would love to go on forever, but it’s not fair to our families, or indeed ourselves. I can’t speak for any of the other admin team, but if anyone is willing to step up and keep the campaign going, we would of course be supporting them.
“Speaking from a personal point of view, I am incredibly proud of what this campaign has achieved. We coordinated one of the biggest peaceful protest demonstrations that Warrington has seen in decades, and we also overturned a decision that would have seen half of Warrington north blocked off from easily accessing the town centre. A particular highlight for me was the protest march which gained a large following from passers-by and instilled a real sense of community spirit; fighting for what we believe in together.
“Looking back, when I first set up the petition, I never dreamed we’d get this far, or I’d be leading such a campaign in my home town. I’ve been so privileged and grateful to get to know and work alongside some passionate and dedicated Warringtonains who have inspired me with their commitment to their communities.. A personal thank you must go to Warrington Worldwide for always reporting on events fairly and honestly, engaging with both sides of the discussion. I’m sure this won’t be the last time you’ll hear of me because my passion for my home town and the community remains just as strong but for now it’s time for me to move on to new adventures. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
During the protest rally the council’s Executive Board Member neighbourhood and community Cllr Tony Higgins, attempted to engage with protesters but gave up after being shouted down after saying people were wrong to oppose the Central 6 LTNs.
