Scrap regional housing targets says Lib Dem

11.10.22am GMT Mon 24th Nov 2008

Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Bell is urging Gordon Brown to suspend plans for massive house building in North Somerset based on "artificial" regional housing targets and replace them with locally determined housing plans.

Under the Labour Government's Regional Spatial Strategy plan for the south west, 12,000 more homes will be built in Weston-super-Mare over the next 20 years, with more than 26,000 in total being built across North Somerset.

Mike Bell said: "Regional housing targets are widely felt to be an inadequate mechanism for delivering the appropriate numbers, mix and location for new housing in North Somerset and the south west.

"Given the economic climate, the slump in the housing market and the decline in the number of homes being built, the proposed targets for our area should be suspended. Local councils should be empowered to set their own targets based on local needs assessments and consultation with local communities.

"Local councils could either work alone where appropriate, or in clusters as part of multi-area agreements or existing sub-regional partnerships.

"The prospect of 12,000 more homes being built in Weston-super-Mare - effectively bolting a town the size of Clevedon onto the side of Weston - without adequate infrastructure, jobs and investment is frightening.

"Why should our community be forced to accept diktats handed down by Whitehall and Westminster?"

Mr Bell has written to the Prime Minister urging him to suspend the RSS and allow local councils the freedom to set locally determined housing plans.