Maria Hutchings on Eastleigh Planning

This is what Maria Hutchins, the Conservative Parliamentary Representative for Eastleigh told the full Eastleigh council meeting last night:

“We will protect our greenfield sites”

“No more building on green areas”
“Saving our greenfield sites”
These are just some of the mantras that have been posted through our letterboxes in the form of Councillors’ and candidates’ literature.

And yet many of those Lib Dem councillors are pushing forward a local plan for 9,400 houses, of which 50% will swallow up green areas in this constituency.

Green areas, in our communities, that are our pride and joy, heritage and future.

Liberal Democrat Councillors are adamant that they will concrete over Stoneham Park, a legacy planned and designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown in the 1770s; Botley, an historic village that obtained a charter for a market from Henry 111 in 1267, a village in which people have settled since at least the 10^th century.

 Yes, we need housing. But surely the overriding questions must be:

a)     Do we really need 9,400 houses?

b)    Has Eastleigh Borough Council carried out the consultation with the public in a transparent, informed and fair manner?

c)     Does the local plan protect our greenfield sites?

d)    Who will buy these properties in the current economic situation?

e)     Do we have the infrastructure; the roads, the schools, the water-waste system etc.?

f)      Will our strategic gaps be maintained, particularly with Southampton?

g)     Will there be enough local employment for the new residents?

h)    Is this housing really for local people?

i)       What of the effect on the environment, the flora and fauna?

j)       Can the roads cope with some 15,000 more cars?

k)     How is it that Eastleigh Borough Council is planning to build on Woodhouse Lane when Conservative-run Hampshire County Council has categorically stated that it is NOT selling the land for 1,000 houses? Does this mean that the Local Plan must be started from scratch?

l)       How can Eastleigh Borough Council proceed with this plan when a leaflet sent to some 53,000 households had only a 3% return of some 2,000?

m)  When the head of planning Tony Wright (quoted in the Daily Echo) said that Allington Lane was his preferred site over Boorley Green that has been chosen. Does that mean that Eastleigh Borough Council can just ignore the professional opinion of its head of planning?

Speaking to residents on the doorsteps and looking at survey results presented by local action groups it is evident that all these questions need to be answered.

People are angry that they haven’t been properly consulted. That some have had an opportunity to have their say on Allington Lane and Boorley Green. But how can it be right to pit two disproportionately sized communities against each other? And why was there not the appropriate consultation on Sundays Hill, Hedge End and Stoneham Park?

           

Speaking of transparency, if there was a “computer glitch” at the Council (as reported on Eastleigh News this week), so that many respondents to the original consultation were not informed of the final date for objections, Is it appropriate that the Council will not extend the date for final objections?                        

This is an ill-thought-out plan. It has NOT been properly consulted upon and is misleading, particularly when some of the land for consideration is not up for sale.

Lib Dem-controlled Eastleigh Borough Council has concreted over our allotments, our communities and has run a severely flawed consultation.

We must fight this travesty of a plan. Make sure that housing is truly for local people, front-line workers, the armed forces and those who have strong family links in Eastleigh.

These Lib Dem Councillors said they were against the SDA proposed for building 6,000 houses and yet once the regional spatial agreements was scrapped by this Conservative-led Government they put a plan for 9,400 houses on the table, 50% on greenfield sites.

Local councillors are here to represent the people.