CONSERVATIVES WIN THE DAY AGAINST
HOUSING NUMBERS AND GREEN BELT ASSAULT!
Controversial Government plans to force a huge increase in new housing within Bristol and eat into the Green Belt were savaged by Conservative
Councillors at yesterday's Full Council meeting.
The Department of Communities & Local Government is currently consulting on changes made to the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), which maps out how the greater Bristol area will develop over the next 18 years.
The strategy has been subject to widespread consultation with residents' groups, business organisations, environmental bodies and local Councils over the last 18 months.
However, Labour's Secretary of State, Hazel Blears MP, wants to raise the housing target to 36,500 by 2026, erode the Green Belt surrounding Bristol and drop previous commitments to improve transport infrastructure and grant new devolved powers to Local Authorities.
But the changes have provoked fierce resistance from local councils and yesterday Bristol Tory Leader Councillor Richard Eddy won overwhelming Council backing against what he called "these unrealistic and unworkable" proposals.
Cllr Eddy (Con, Bishopsworth) said: "Bristol is an ambitious city and needs to accommodate well-thought-out and sustainable development, particularly providing more affordable housing.
"However, the Secretary of State's arbitrary decision to hike-up housing numbers, effectively giving the green light to unrestrained urban sprawl and erosion of the Green Belt rather than brownfield sites, is outrageous.
"Contrary to previous promises, the Government also wants to drop sections of the strategy dealing with improved transport infrastructure and initiatives, such as granting new powers over public transport operators like First Group."
Councillor Eddy's motion - which denounced the proposed changes as "undeliverable, unsustainable and unacceptable" - won the support of the city's Liberal Democrats and, after a failed bid by Labour to tone-down the
criticisms, of the ruling Labour Group.
The agreed motion calls upon Council Leader Helen Holland to write to Mrs Blears, outlining the Authority's opposition to the proposed changes in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy.
