Here is the article in Todays Brentford,Chiswick and Isleworth times;C.I Local News<< Back to indexProtesters banned from Mogden meetingBy Sally HenfieldRESIDENTS taking legal action against Mogden sewage works have been banned from meetings discussing the site, in a move that they say has been designed to undermine their case.Around a dozen people were refused entry to the Mogden Residents' Liaison Committee meeting on Wednesday on the grounds that their legal involvement meant they were exempt from attending.The meetings are held four times a year and are attended by residents' representatives, councillors from both Hounslow and Richmond, environmental officers and Thames Water officials.Isleworth councillor, and member of the Mogden Residents' Action Group, Phil Andrews was amongst those denied access to the meeting.Cllr Andrews said: "No notification had been given to us of our exclusion until we specifically requested that our invitations be confirmed. Some residents arrived on the evening only to be turned away."MRAG is accepted as the legitimate voice of the community in matters relating to Mogden. Cllr Andrews claims some people were turned away for simply being MRAG members, even if they were not taking legal action.He added: "MRAG itself is not taking legal action against Thames Water. All legal claims are being made by individuals, the large majority of whom are not members of MRAG. MRAG has simply advertised and helped to co-ordinate the action taken by residents. In spite of this, Thames insists upon referring to all litigants as MRAG members' in its correspondence."Some of those who were allowed into the meeting were actually taking legal action against Thames Water, but were members of different residents' groups, Cllr Andrews claimed.He continued: "We believe that Thames Water's strategy is to undermine MRAG, either by discontinuing liaison meetings or by replacing genuine residents' representatives with a panel of tame and acquiescent individuals and residents' groups' who will permit the company to give an impression of public consultation without asking inconvenient questions or holding the company to account."MRAG considers these recent actions by Thames Water to be unacceptable and evidence of its continued bad faith towards the community, and will be stepping up its activities as a consequence of them."Simon Anderson, chair of the Ivytag Residents Monitoring Group, also found himself barred from the meeting, despite having been previously invited by a member of Thames Water staff. Mr Anderson has being attending these meetings for seven years and is outraged that he should be turned away now. He said: "The case had nothing to do with the meetings and if they had nothing to hide, why were they stopping people from attending meetings?"He added: "I feel the legal action could have been prevented years ago when our good friends MRAG complained to Thames but they constantly ignored the residents. Why should we residents have to suffer with the smell? It prevents us from enjoying our homes and gardens. I feel Thames Water shouldn't blame residents but blame themselves."A spokesperson for Thames Water said: "We are directing correspondence with residents who have chosen to take legal action against us, or with MRAG, which is actively promoting the legal action, through our solicitors."We will continue to investigate and respond to complaints about the site we receive directly from anyone, whether they are part of the legal action or not. We are also posting news about work at Mogden on our website for anyone to access."
Simon Anderson ● 7164d