HOUSING ACTION GROUP TO TARGET MINISTER

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Jun 2009

Parish and town councils will be encouraged to help raise a petition calling on the new Housing Minister, John Healey MP to scrap plans for mass housing development in South Worcestershire under the Regional Spatial Strategy.

The move follows South Worcestershire Housing Action Group's decision to seek a meeting with the Minister. They want to present their alternative vision for sustainable housing development in South Worcestershire instead of current plans for 24,500 extra houses.

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Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt said the Housing Action Group would meet at The Bell in Broadheath, 7.30pm on Tuesday 23rd June to finalise plans

Mr Burt said:

"All are welcome to attend. We have built a very strong campaign group from across the district, and we hope to be able to take our message to Westminster with a large petition to support the case for scrapping these grossly excessive housing numbers.

"We don't just want to say no to the Regional Spatial Strategy, we want to present a more realistic model for sustainable housing development based on employment prospects and local need. We think that the numbers should be slashed by more than half to make any sense at all."

Heather Jeavons of Newland Parish Council said:

"This is essentially a rural area of special value to the whole nation. We must ensure that our villages are able to survive with locally focused and locally supported housing growth to meet the future needs of our area. Top down, nationally imposed and excessive targets of housing by numbers must be resisted. South Worcestershire deserves better, and we must convince the new Minister that the present plans are pure folly."