Legal challenge on plan for 12,000 Weston homes

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 3rd Aug 2009

A call has been made for plans that would see 12,000 new houses built in Weston to be abandoned.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare, has written to the new Housing Minister, John Healey MP, calling on him to "abandon the Regional Spatial Strategy process before it falls apart".

The Regional Spatial Strategy sets out the planning policies and principles governing development in the region until 2026 including the construction of 12,000 more houses in Weston and a total of 26,000 across North Somerset.

A legal challenge in the East of England has already led to serious delays in the implementation of the Regional Spatial Strategy documents for the South West and other regions.

Now North Somerset Council is considering mounting a legal challenge of its own to stop the draft strategy for the South West being used by developers to force more house building through the back door.

"The Government Office for the South West has written to local authorities around the region, including North Somerset, confirming that implementation of the plan has been delayed," said Mike.

"Parliament won't be able to consider the matter again until the autumn at the earliest and there is now a real chance that the whole thing will drag on into the General Election and beyond.

"The Government should admit that the game is up and abandon the strategy before it falls apart."

The Government Office for the South West has advised local authorities, including North Somerset, that pending further progress on the final strategy, the draft document should be given considerable weight in consideration of any application for development.

Mike added: "This could mean that the plan, although not finalised or approved by Parliament, could be used by developers to force through housing schemes.

"I welcome North Somerset's efforts to work with other local authorities to challenge this position. It would be a disgrace if plans that ultimately get ditched were used in the next few months to force through further massive housing developments."