CONNECTING DERBY

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A stretch of the new £36.2m inner ring road is to be named after computer game character Lara Croft following a public vote. More than 27,000 people took part in the vote to name the Osmaston Road to Burton Road stretch of the new route, with 89% opting for Lara Croft Way. A separate stretch of road will be called Mercian Way as a tribute to local soldiers. Lara Croft Way will be used to name the Osmaston Road to Burton Road stretch, with Mercian Way becoming the Burton Road to Stafford Street link.

Councillor Lucy Care, cabinet member for planning and transportation, said, "The vote really captured the imagination of people from across the world and, despite my lack of gaming knowledge, I accept that a majority of 89% for Lara Croft is too overwhelming to ignore. She was created in Derby and deserves to stand alongside some of the more traditional icons of the city. The vote for Mercian Way is also testimony to the passionate local support shown for the servicemen and women serving right now." (Source: BBC News, Feb/10)

Derby City Council has banned Derby Heart, which is campaigning against the Connecting Derby scheme to link the city's ring road, from sending any more requests through the Freedom of Information Act. In the past year, Derby Heart has sent more than 70 requests for information under the act containing more than 160 questions for the council. The council said that it had cause to stop answering the requests because many were repetitious and designed to annoy the authority.

Council leader Chris Williamson said, "We obviously want to accommodate genuine requests for information but we've had several which were repetitious. There are definite guidelines in favour of authorities when there's evidence that requests for information are becoming vexatious. Derby Heart's requests have certainly been designed to cause annoyance." Of the group's requests, more than 20 have related to information about compulsory purchase orders which were needed to allow the council to go ahead with its plans for the road scheme.

Derby Heart chairman Richard Butler said, "I'm aggrieved by this accusation by the council. I believe the last request I submitted was an awkward question for the council which they do not wish to answer. I asked for information on funding and where money has ended up." An e-mail has been sent to the group from the council's Freedom of Information officer. It states, "We believe we have now reached the stage where we will have to apply section 14 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000."

The section says that an authority does not have to respond to requests which are "vexatious" or "annoying" or where a request for similar information has already been made and answered. It also states that, if the requests are designed to disrupt or cause annoyance, have the effect of harassing the council or are obsessive or unreasonable, the council has grounds to refuse to answer them. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun/07)

Plans to begin work on completing the inner ring road have been delayed after a public inquiry was called. A six-month delay in starting work on the final part of the Connecting Derby scheme is envisaged because the council's attempts to buy land it needs have been challenged by 17 residents. Richard Butler has also launched a High Court challenge over the Government's decision to approve proposed changes around Five Lamps, as part of the road scheme.

Connecting Derby project manager Dave Powner said, "This is a delay which we knew was a possibility but it's disappointing nonetheless. We know of objectors who have been long-standing opponents to the scheme and who are unlikely to be willing to reach an agreement. We're also aware that the decision by the Government is now being challenged by Mr Butler through the courts. We're hoping that we'll still be able to start moving utilities by the middle of next year so we can start construction in 2008." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Nov/06)

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