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Crusading pensioner 'not ashamed'

1st May 2008, Page 8
1st May 2008
Page 8
Page 8, 1st May 2008 — Crusading pensioner 'not ashamed'
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A KENT RESIDENT has defended her decision to accept £3000 from a property developer to help her campaign for better facilities for LGV drivers.

Margaret Pryke, who has been battling to prevent truck drivers parking on the Orbital Business Park in Ashford, spoke out this week after claims that she was on Monserat Properties' payroll.

Pryke had responded to an article in a local newspaper last year that included a contact number for Dr Rehan ul-Haq, chief executive of Monserat Properties. He was requesting views concerning his development plans in the Ashford area, The company wants to build a new junction 10B of the M20 at Sellindge, as well as a truck park, service station and overnight facilities. Dr ul-Haq gave Pryke a £3,000 cheque after he discovered she was lobbying for truck parking facilities in the county.

"It had all been coming out of my pension up to that point," Pryke says.

All I'm interested in is getting something done about a lorry park in Ashford. I'm not ashamed, I've done nothing illegal. Dr ul-Haq knows I'm not campaigning just for his particular site. I said I would accept it and put my campaign on to a more professional level."

Dr ul-Haq says his firm's plans for delivering 31,000 houses and 28,000 jobs in the area also include provision for a large truck park. It has first refusal on the land where the proposed truck park could be built.However he expects it to be at least another year before a detailed planning application is made.

• An online petition supporting the Sellindge site as a "solution to Operation Stack" can be found at: www. operationstack.co.uk/petition.aspx


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