Anne Main MP: Concerns are raised over Councils that have not replied to Government's consultation.
13th October 2005
Anne Main who serves on the ODPM select Committee is concerned that as many councils as possible have not responded to a Government consultation which will inform their view when deciding how house building strategies should be decided.
Anne Main who serves on the ODPM select Committee is concerned that as many councils as possible have not responded to a Government consultation which will inform their view when deciding how house building strategies should be decided.
Recently the Government published the Barker Report which proposed economic solutions to question of the delivery of affordable housing the across the UK. Ms Barker made some radical proposals that sought to influence house prices through the planning system and delivery of land resources.
Anne said "from July to September a consultation document drawing on the principle of the Barker Report looking at housing supply and affordability was sent to all local Councils. The questions focused on how house prices and house building could be affected through the planning system. I very much hope that St Albans District Council* have responded to this important consultation which could well have major implications for St Albans, its residents and the environment."
I obviously look forward to being involved in all deliberations and discussion about how we deliver homes for local people but I am not encouraged that in recent press comment that Yvette Cooper, the Housing and Planning Minister, plays down environmental concerns, suggesting that those who have those concerns are unhelpful. Yvette Cooper has described those with environmental concerns as "people who want to block new homes." (The Times, Tuesday 11th October, 2005 Pg 16)
In response Anne said "It is vital that we do not deliver thousands of new houses at the expense of the environment. We should be building truly sustainable communities that are both affordable but above all environmentally sensitive, especially as 27% ** of carbon emissions emanate from residential use -if we are truly concerned about our environment we must treat development of our towns, cities and countryside with the utmost care.""
