Suspend The Regional Spacial Strategy! (West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats)

West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats <contact.us@westworcslibdems.org.uk>

Suspend The Regional Spacial Strategy!

July 20, 2009 5:43 PM

Richard Burt has written to the new Housing Minister, John Healey calling on him to "suspend the Regional Spatial Strategy process before it falls apart".

Richard has also forwarded to the minister a copy of the SWHAG document calling for locally determined, employment led housing development and for more government money to build affordable housing.

"Recently announced delays in the in the plans locally are mirrored around the country and could mean the whole process grinds to a halt before the next General Election," said Richard.

"A legal challenge in the East of England, based on the failure of the Eastern RSS to make a proper assessment of the strategy's impact on the environment, has caused serious delays there too, and has strong echoes of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee's call for the whole process to be suspended until the environmental impact has been properly assessed.

"These challenges buy valuable time for local campaigning groups to co-ordinate action and increase support; and raise the chances of the RSS not being implemented at all before the next General Election.

"If that happens and if, as everyone expects, Labour goes down to a crushing defeat, a new House of Commons could vote to stop the whole mad strategy in its tracks. This delay gives us a little more hope that we really can save the countryside around our South Worcestershire villages."

Richard urged the Government to scrap their targets and instead focus on the delivery of affordable homes.

"Ministers should abandon their top down plans to force high numbers of unaffordable new properties on South Worcestershire and adopt instead a locally led strategy to concentrate on providing homes for those local people in the greatest need."

"Despite Government targets, the construction industry is in crisis and people are still searching high and low for adequate places to live. Ministers should admit that the principle and the process of deciding a vast 'regional' spatial strategy has failed miserably, and give Worcestershire authorities the cash and choice to solve our own housing problems locally."