Press Release 23 July  2007

 

From Cllr John Williams

Leader Conservative Group, Taunton Deane Borough Council

 

Conservatives Welcome MPs Support for their Affordable Housing Scheme

 

MP’s support for affordable housing at Ham, Chelston is to be applauded. The housing being constructed by Summerfield Developments resulted from close cooperation between Taunton Deane Borough Council’s then Conservative administration that piloted the initiative in cooperation with Summerfield.

 

The result of this development is housing being sold to occupiers at 60% of normal market value, two bedroom houses at £75,000 and three bed for £99,000, and when sold on whether 1 or 10 years time they will remain at 60% of the then market value. Truly affordable for future generations which is why it has won the praise and is an excellent scheme.

 

Now there is a need for the LibDems to pull together on this as Cllr Henley, leader of the Council, who is against development because he voted against the development at Ham for 36 houses, against Cades farm providing 100 affordable houses and 200 market houses, is against the democratic planning process for affordable houses in Wellington and worked against schemes where planning has been granted. What the community needs is for the LibDems to sing with one voice and let there be some consistency.

 

It would help if our MP could arrange for his colleague Cllr Henley to take the affordable housing shortage as seriously as he is, at present Cllr Henley’s words certainly do not match his actions.

 

Cllr John Williams said “It is difficult to understand why Cllr Henley should be so negative about such an important priority of the Council he now leads. In Wellington alone there are 602 families on the Council’s housing waiting list, if everything were to stand still, ie no more families apply for housing, it would take 15 years to clear this backlog at the average rate of re-lets, 40 per year, is that the future Cllr Henley wishes these families to suffer, no realistic proposal of gaining a decent home in a reasonable time. People rarely like development near them, but this is where Leadership comes in, proposals have to be considered for the community as a whole within the full democratic process of the planning system. Regrettably Cllr Henley has tried to subvert this democratic process by preventing it being implemented”