McCartney Asks PM About Colne Valley Housing
Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney rose to speak during Prime Minister’s Questions today. He asked David Cameron about housing policy, with specific regard to the Colne and Holme Valleys.
Mr McCartney, who represents Holmfirth, Meltham, Marsden and Slaithwaite among other areas, also criticised the approach of Kirklees Council towards building new homes.
He said: “Labour-led Kirklees Council are still obsessed with top-down housing targets, leaving my constituents worried that the beautiful green fields of the Colne and Holme Valleys will be bulldozed away.”
Mr McCartney then asked his Conservative colleague: “Will the Prime Minister confirm that the Localism Bill will give my constituents a real say in what developments go on in their area?”
Mr Cameron said that he could, and went on: “Under the top-down targets of the party opposite, house building fell to its lowest level in this country since 1923. The top-down big state solutions didn’t work.”
The Prime Minister added: “Whereas what we are doing by having the new homes bonus, rewarding local authorities who do build houses, means that there’s a real benefit to local communities if they opt to have more homes and have more businesses, because that is part of the economic development we need.”
According to the government, the Localism Bill, currently being considered by House of Commons committees, aims to “shift power from central government back into the hands of individuals, communities and councils.” It includes a proposal for ‘neighbourhood planning’ which would give local people more of a say over planning decisions relating to their areas.
You can read a summary of what the Bill contains here. Specific details about the idea of neighbourhood planning can be found here.
A dissenting comment piece from last Friday’s Guardian can be read here.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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