From Andrew Hodges Your Christchurch Ward Conservative Councillor
October 2002 No 86
Housing
and Green Belt
THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT IS INSISTING that 13,000 extra homes above the 22,000 already agreed between the
County, Boroughs and Districts should be built in Surrey by 2016.
If the County Council refuses to allocate the 13,000 extra houses, or
fails to reflect in the allocation the Government’s opinion that Guildford
should take a significant proportion of the extra housing, the Government is
likely to direct 7-8,000 into Guildford. They are between a rock and a hard
place. This is twice the figure currently being suggested for new developments
in the County’s Spatial Strategy for the Burpham/Merrow/West Clandon area
(2,000) and Worplesdon (2,000), and could mean other areas of Green Belt come
under threat. Guildford Conservatives oppose this threat to our Green Belt.
Who is to blame?
John Prescott, Deputy
Prime Minister - accused of wanting to
concrete over the South East of England.
While currently the Liberal Democrats are opposing the extra housing, they
failed to support the Conservatives last year when the numbers for the South
East were first raised. Only the Conservatives have fought consistently against
the Government’s imposition of extra houses. Please write to John Prescott at the House of Commons, London
SW1 0AA.
Overdevelopment
TWO
RECENT PLANNING APPLICATIONS
have
been turned down in Tangier Road by the Planning Committee.
There is a constant and increasing pressure in the ward for redevelopment
of existing housing sites. This has
been an issue in the ward for over thirty years, and is intensifying now.
Andrew Hodges and David Hunter want to continue to protect the
environment in which we live, and do not believe building very large houses on
very small sites will do that.
However,
the Government’s planning guidelines for increased houses to the hectare will
not help this, especially as the guidelines do not specify house sizes.
At present with house prices outstripping inflation, there is an
unceasing need for smaller houses which younger people can afford.
After all, the next generation should be able to have the opportunity to
stay in Guildford when they leave home, rather than be forced out because they
cannot afford Guildford house prices.
What
are your views on retaining Christchurch’s identity of large houses and
large gardens. Please let us know.
David Hunter and Andrew Hodges look at plans