Following an intense debate on the issues of housing in the last County Council meeting before the elections in June, a Liberal Democrat amendment was agreed with all parties and moved with unanimous approval. Simon Galton Leader of the Lib Dem Group said: “I am delighted – after a very passionate debate on housing numbers and provision through the regional plan, it became clear that our amendment offered the most common ground for agreement. With some slight alterations, the amendment was passed and a forceful stance on housing issues has been achieved.”
A copy of the passed amendment is below:
County Council Meeting – 25th March 2009 An amendment will be moved by Mr S. Galton and seconded by Mr Parsons All of the words after first bullet point in paragraph a) of the motion be deleted and the following inserted In their place:
- The Prime Minister stated his intention that 3 Million homes are provided across
England up to 2020 is no longer achievable.
- The underline principles of the plan led system which involves local communities and is meant to give certainty about the amount of development which will take place is right but the top down process whereby Central Government imposes housing numbers is denying local people proper involvement and results in excessive amounts of
Greenfield land being allocated for development.
- That a further partial review of housing numbers and the legislation currently before Parliament will give Council Leaders on the proposed Leaders Board a key role in determining future housing numbers.
All of the words after ‘b) That, accordingly, this Council’ be deleted and the following inserted:
- Urges the Government to abandon nationally imposed housing targets based on population assumptions, abolish the NHPAU and introduce a system which allows Councils to plan for the needs of their communities in genuine consultation with local people and by working in partnership with other authorities
- Urges all members to attend the “Meeting the Local Housing Challenge” conference to be held 27th March 2009 to allow members to explore possible solutions to the housing crisis and requests the 3 Leaders to meet as soon as possible after the conference to give consideration to any proposals which come forward with a view to the County Council exercising its community leadership role to address the housing situation through cross party co-operation;
- Urges District Councils in preparing their LDF’s to protect existing green wedges and open space and consider extensions
- Believes that the polices in the adopted RSS of urban concentration and regeneration remain the right priorities and urges district councils and Leicester City Council to encourage the redevelopment of Brownfield sites to minimise the use of Greenfield land
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