New Media Awards 2008 - www.catarena.org

www.catarena.org

http://www.catarena.org

Nominated in Community activism category.

www.catarena.org -
Started by Ken Frost after the Council "Cabinet" put a CPO on land planned for a public park and Warehouse Theatre in favour of a 12,500 seat arena and giant supermarket.
With contributions from others, he investigated the unresolved problems ignored by the "hierarchy", the secrecy, and impracticalities of the project detrimental to so many residents, counteracting biased reports to the Secretary of State.

1 nomination from readers

Croydon Council "Cabinet" are obsessed with having a 12,500 seat arena in the centre of town, by East Croydon station.

Consultation was "what would you like to see at the proposed arena?" - NOT "do you WANT an arena?".
Residents' concerns about the impracticalities of the project were ignored or brushed aside with propaganda.
Ken Frost's website, www.catarena.org
(Croydon against the arena)champions the residents' cause, delving beneath the extensive propaganda, and exposing facts, misleading truths and half truths behind statements, which give a very different picture of the desirability of this major project.

Two developers are involved - both plan flats, offices, shops.
Stanhope, the landowners, plan a public park with extra facilities, and new Warehouse Theatre.
Arrowcroft plan to build the arena, giant supermarket and night club, and say their proposed (unplanned) theatre is equal to Stanhope's. Facts give a very different impression !

Stanhope will build a purpose-built theatre, designed for Warehouse needs, leaving the old one till the new one is built.
Arrowcroft will knock down the Warehouse Theatre,leaving it homeless for three years, demanded a viability/business plan, (although excused one themselves!)
and sited the new one over noisy plant,too near the station, with no workshops or rehearsal rooms.
Hardly EQUAL !

The website has informed residents how their concerns over inadequate parking, overcrowded public transport, road congestion, crowd chaos etc. have NOT been satisfactorily resolved - e.g. unworkable tram agreement and crowd management strategy.
Even no properly designed space for ARTISTES' personal vehicles.

Council "hierarchy" gloss over problems stating "SOMEONE ELSE WILL SORT IT OUT LATER" !
Without the important information revealed by the website, the very biased Arrowcroft/Council report to the Public Inquiry would have gone unchallenged, and an inaccurate assessment made, to the detriment of residents !

Nominated by Ian Hunter, 18 May 2008

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