news story

10th January 2008

MP 'Outraged' At New Housing Plans

Northavon MP Steve Webb has said he is 'outraged' at plans for 5,000 additional houses in Yate and a refusal to extend the Green Belt into the area north of Thornbury. The MP was responding to the report of a panel looking at the 'regional spatial strategy' for the South West of England, which has proposed a big increase in the rate of house-building in South Gloucestershire.

Steve Webb said:

"It is outrageous to suggest that Yate could cope with new development on anything like the scale proposed. The volume of traffic alone generated by 5,000 new houses would swamp the town and cause gridlock. Where would people have hospital treatment, especially if the planned closure of Frenchay goes ahead? Building on this scale would ruin the local environment and fundamentally change the character of the area.

"Decisions about local house-building should be taken by local people, not imposed at regional level. This proposal shows no understanding of the situation on the ground in our area and we will fight it tooth and nail".