Dreams are a nightmare says MP

Warrington North MP HELEN JONES has called Dreams Plc a nightmare to talk to after she wrote to them following concerns raised by constituents after the company removed trees from its Chesford grange site in Woolston.

Residents in the area had contacted their MP following the felling of a number of trees at the Woolston unit occupied by Dreams plc.  The site is privately owned and not subject to protection under Tree Preservation Orders or Conservation Area guidelines.  However,  the Borough Council did refer the matter to the Forestry Commission due to the scale of felling works undertaken.

On the 18 October 2006 HELEN JONES wrote to Dreams plc Managing Director Nick Worthington asking for a briefing on their plans for replanting.  This followed the issuing of a standard letter to residents by Dreams plc Operations Director Greg Suthern which indicated that the company would be re-landscaping the area and replacing the felled trees.

No response was received and the MP wrote to Mr Suthern on 21 November asking the company to have the courtesy to respond. 

Mr Worthington did so in the most bizarre of ways.  He wrote,  in a letter received on 27 November,  saying that he was “struggling to understand the issue” and that the MP,  and presumably the residents,  failed to appreciate that Dreams plc is a commercial business which required a degree of visibility which is what they were trying to achieve.  He failed to provide any details about replanting at the Woolston site.

HELEN JONES said:

“  It is Dreams plc who have failed to appreciate the situation. 

“  Residents have been extremely concerned about the actions the company have taken.  In the first instance Dreams plc seemed to have recognised that fact and stressed their commitment to environmental issues.  However,  their latest letter to me is very dismissive and fails,  in my view,  to understand the feelings of local people.

Not only did they fail to provide me with details of their plans for the landscaping of the site but they seemed to imply because the company was bringing jobs to the area,  people should not question their actions.

“  We,  quite rightly,  expect individuals and companies to have regard to the environment in which they live and operate.  Dream plc seem to have forgotten that when it comes to their Woolston site and their residential neighbours.

“  When firstly,  the Managing Director fails completely to respond to a polite request for information and then on being asked to have the courtesy to reply says he is “disappointed with the tone” of the request whilst still failing to supply the information he not only insults me but also the people of Woolston who I represent and who asked me to act for them.

“  I have written again to request for details of the landscaping plans and timescales and am hoping for a significantly improved response from Dreams plc.  It is an issue I will be monitoring closely in the future.  It is to be hoped that their landscaping actions prove better than the way they respond to correspondence – so far Dreams have been a nightmare to deal with.  “