Eco-Towns under scrutiny of the Urban Design Group

The Eco-Town concept, originally proposed by Gordon Brown in 2007, is yet to be carefully revised. This time the Bordon Eco-Town will serve as the case for the thorough examination of the Urban Design Group (UDG).

Jack Warshaw of Conservation Architecture & Planning will lead the debate with the Bordon community members on pros and cons of this controversial idea.The meeting, taking place on 21.09.2011 at 6.30pm in the Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ, will be video recorded by the Spectacle crew.

Although developing ‘carbon neutral’ Eco-Towns with over 5000 new homes and 15,000 new residents would presumably help to tackle climate change and housing shortage in the UK, some local communities have been strongly opposing this idea. Such issues as sustainability of the project, public engagement, and role of the local authorities are highly questionable.

Friends of the Earth said “…the Government is quietly removing the public’s right to have a meaningful say…”.

To counter the lack of discussion, Spectacle has started a project on Eco Town and Villages. To watch the interviews with Bordon Area Action Group committee members and local residents, visit Spectacle website for Eco Town and Villages.

Click Eco Towns and Villages for more blogs
See our Eco Towns and Villages project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

Spectacle homepage
Befriend Spectacle.Docs on Facebook
Follow SpectacleMedia on Twitter

Bradford screenings – Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo

As part of the Bradford International Film Festival, Cineworld at the Bradford Leisure Exchange will be hosting two screenings of the new Spectacle documentary, Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo on the 26th and 27th of March.

The March 26th viewing will also host a panel discussion of the project with filmmakers Polly Nash and Andy Worthington, along with former detainees Moazzam Begg and Omar Deghayes following the screening.

Outside the Law offers a powerful and personal insight into the claims that Guantánamo holds “the worst of the worst” and how those detained as “illegal enemy combatants” were given no chance to defend themselves and, even worse, given no rights whatsoever.

Information and tickets are available online as are DVD purchases

Click Guantánamo for more blogs or visit our Guantánamo project pages for more information and videos.

Spectacle homepage
Befriend Spectacle.Docs on Facebook
Follow SpectacleMedia on Twitter

Reprieve ask Sir Peter Gibson to stand down from inquiry

Clive Stafford-Smith has published a letter sent to Sir Peter Gibson – the man elected by David Cameron to lead the inquiry into whether the UK has been complicit in the torture of terrorism suspects – that calls for him to renounce his position. The letter was written on behalf of Reprieve, an organisation which represents prisoners held ‘beyond the rule of law’ or those facing the death penalty, and which represented Binyam Mohamed in the trial which cleared his name of any connections with any terrorist acts.

Clive Stafford-Smith of Reprieve

The content of the letter focuses on the bias that compromises Sir Gibson’s position; specifically that he has already conducted an internal review on the same subject and his role as Intelligence Services Commissioner. Stafford-Smith finishes by challenging Sir Gibson about the expansion of his duties in 2009 to Gordon Brown to ‘…protect the reputation of our security and intelligence services…’ and to ‘…ensure that our practices are in line with the United Kingdom and international law,’ arguing that he should be acting as a witness to the inquiry, not leading it.

Given that previous reports maintained that the integrity of British Intelligence remained intact and that those involved in the hearings were ‘trustworthy and dependable’, Stafford-Smith feels that he is unlikely to offer any public criticisms of, or claims for accountability from either MI5 or MI6.

The full letter has been printed in full for public consumption and Stafford-Smith also appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme to debate the matter with the former chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Kim Howells.

Click Guantánamo for more blogs
Or visit our Guantánamo project pages for more information and videos.

Spectacle homepage
Befriend Spectacle.Docs on Facebook
Follow SpectacleMedia on Twitter