The following is an extract from Hansard detailing questions asked of the Department of Communities and Local Government ministerial team yesterday afternoon:
"T6. [50334] Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con): Can the Minister give an update on the expected timing of a further announcement on the proposed eco-town at Bordon, and does he agree that there should be a local referendum before any large-scale development there takes place?
The Minister for Housing and Local Government (Grant Shapps): Just to be clear, my hon. Friend raises an important subject, because eco-towns were being pushed on to areas without local communities having any say about them. Indeed, there was even a separate planning policy statement about eco-homes under the previous Government. We are not in the game of pushing communities into building homes in ways that are not compatible or sustainable locally. I am absolutely certain that my hon. Friend’s local authority will want to take notice of all local opinions and balance that against things such as the new homes bonus benefits, which it will get from building new homes."
What exactly is going on here? Mr Shapps response seems a touch disingenuous and does not attempt to answer the first part of Damian Hinds' question. We also note that is was Mr Hinds (East Hampshire) and NOT Mr Simpson (Broadland) who asked the question - Mr Simpson seems as reluctant as ever to involve himself in this debate after his initial declaration of opposition to the proposed Rackheath eco-town prior to the election.
We know what happened to Mr Simpson. He only pretended to oppose the ECO town in Rackheath because his Pollsters told him it was potentially an election changing issue. Now that he is safely back in Parliament he is praising the Tory Council in Broadland for their innovative initiatives in development.
ReplyDeleteWhy would he care about what is going on in Rackheath?
As this Eco topic is related to massive housing estates on green field land,...should we now re-name Keith as 'Eco-homer-Simpson'?......or even 'homer Simpson's illyad'....Keiths quest for a seat at the right hand of his god?...Rackheath Plato.
ReplyDeleteKeith Simpson may have no enthusiasm for the Ecotown. It is a Labour policy idea.
ReplyDeleteComments from Mr Simpson at SNUB meetings I have attended have never suggested that under the coalition government the development of the Ecotown site won't happen.
I get the impression that the government wants to scrap the Ecotown but not the development at Rackheath.
Eye,eye, it seems the 'Green'party from Wroxham is taking an interest in protecting his governor's political back...this is NOT a political thing, it's a Knowles / German 'greed' thing....and another thing, strange 'bed-fellows'appear when a seconded vote is needed for a local election isn't it?.....any more likely to crawl out of the rotten woodwork?..Synonymous from Rackheath.
ReplyDelete...come to think of it.....the Wroxham 'Green' party and seconder look awfully like Peter Lorre and Sidney greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon ( you figure out which is which....I can't?)...Synonymous again, Rackheath.
ReplyDeleteYou never could trust these Politicians. Remember how they promised the Gordon Brown Ecotowns would NOT go ahead if there was local opposition ? These promises are WORTHLESS.
ReplyDeleteNow the GNDP Quango is giving our Parish Councils just SIX WEEKS to rubber stamp their strategy which is not time enough to call the eseential Public Meeting. They are too clever by half. Just hope we can get rid of them in May and return to true local government.
You have been told Norfolk will get 224,000 more people. The 37,000 "homes" is the beginning. This started under a Labour Government, Conservative / Liberal Government does nothing to stop it
ReplyDeleteThe Green Party demand a cycle lane painted on the concrete that will soon cover Norfolk.