Burt Condemns Government Office Response To Worcestershire Housing Strategy

6.48.00pm GMT Mon 15th Dec 2008

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt has condemned the response of the Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) to the Regional Spatial Strategy Preferred Options Consultation (attached), accusing them of attempting to undermine the responsibilities of South Worcestershire planning authorities.

Mr Burt said: "The GOWM response suggests that because the three councils that make up the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy have been working together on the plans, there should be no need to specify the split of housing numbers between the council areas in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

"This sleight of hand will not fool any residents faced with the loss of green open space surrounding their village and which further undermines the responsibility of each planning authority to its own residents.

"Many villagers I have spoken to already feel that they have been sold down the river by their local council. They would be highly suspicious of any plan to present the entire development of South Worcestershire under one umbrella figure in the Regional Spatial Strategy.

"GOWM have failed to recognise the real problem of overspill between planning authorities caused by excess housing numbers. These proposals should be robustly challenged by local councils during the Examination process next year."