Tory Con Trick on M4 Noise Barrier

12.00.00am GMT Fri 28th Feb 2003

Evidence of a con trick about to be played on residents in Wokingham and Winnersh by the Conservatives emerged during Wokingham District Council's budget debate on the 27th February.

The Conservatives are claiming to have allocated £500,000 to pay for much-needed motorway noise barriers next year. However, they failed to mention that they have put no money in the budget to pay for it.

Speaking after the debate, Councillor Prue Bray (Lib Dem Councillor for Winnersh ward) said, "The noise barrier is at the very bottom of a very long Tory wish-list. The Tories call their wish-list "aspirational" - that means there is no money for it.

"I am sure the Tories are going to use their election literature to con the long-suffering residents who live beside the M4 into believing that they are going to get a noise barrier, just as during last year's election the Tories made promises about saving our green fields - only to agree to build all over them when they got into power."