Both Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors for Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) have voted to oppose housing targets for the area dictated by the national government.
A motion was put forward at a full council meeting on Tuesday, October 18 by Lib Dem councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst to restate TRDC’s position that figures are too high and based on out-of-date targets, with them currently set at 12, 700 new homes to be built.
This also comes after recently resigned Prime Minister Liz Truss called for an abolition of what she branded “top-down Whitehall- inspired Stalinist housing targets”.
The council will now draw up a new Local Plan based on up-to-date statistics and locally calculated housing needs.
Cllr Giles-Medhurst said: “I am delighted that the Tories on the council, who have so far attacked us for opposing the government’s target and our delays to the Local Plan whilst we argue for lower housing number, have done a U-turn.
“Everyone knows the centrally imposed housing figure is just plain wrong as it takes no account of local circumstances.
“I am determined that we will have a local plan that allows for some new development, fully supporting local needs and proving homes that we need in areas we need it.
“At last, it sends the message that council is united, and it’s good news that locally Tories have had to accept they got it wrong.”
When contacted for comment, Ciaran Reed, leader of the Conservatives on TRDC, said:
“There has been no ‘U turn’ from the Local Conservatives. We have always been opposed to using the standard methodology for the Three Rivers Local Plan as the figures are too high. On Tuesday, we voted in line with that policy of ours.
“At no point in the motion did it celebrate the fact that Three Rivers have delayed their plan. It instead noted that other Councils have ‘boasted’ about it, not that Three Rivers has.
The Conservative plan would have provided Three Rivers Local Plan with a significantly lower housing target that could have passed the Inspectorate this summer.
“Instead, the Lib Dem Administration’s delay means that they are not in a position to end this process positively and have once again left our Green Belt at risk.
“It is the Liberal Democrat Administration that has u-turned on making a Local Plan with a locally created target.”
Labour has always opposed the Tories’ housing targets. I am sorry we were not contacted for a comment.
Councillor Stephen Cox
Leader, Three Rivers Labour Councillors