NO WAY TO 33K HOUSING PETITION

Conservative campaigners have presented over a thousand No Way To 33K petition slips to the Government on the final day of its consultation on Ministers’ proposed changes to the South West Regional Spatial Strategy.

Senior councillor Matthew Riddle, who is also the prospective Conservative MP for the new Thornbury and Yate constituency, was joined by Councillor Sandra Grant (Con, Boyd Valley) as he handed in the No Way To 33K petition slips from residents in the new Thornbury and Yate constituency within South Gloucestershire.

Cllr Riddle started his housing petition at the beginning of this year when the Government’s Panel Report suggested a figure of 30,800 new houses.

In July the Secretary of State increased South Gloucestershire’s housing target to 32,800. Ministers are planning to concrete over greenfield land and roll-back Green Belt boundaries to make way for several new ‘urban extensions’, including 8,000 new houses on Green Belt land east of the ring road and 3,000 new houses on Greenfield land at Yate/Chipping Sodbury.

Senior councillor and prospective Conservative MP for the new Thornbury and Yate constituency, Matthew Riddle said:

“We all want more affordable homes for local people, but not these unsustainable numbers and urban extensions that require bulldozing our precious countryside.”

“I would like to thank the huge number of residents who have kindly added their names to our housing petition, especially those who have done so in the last few days. Without their help, we would not be able to demonstrate the strength of feeling and outrage that local people feel about the Government’s shocking housing plans.”

Wick resident and Cllr Sandra Grant, who represents many of the villages east of the ring road, added:

 “Ministers’ plans mean that the villages of Pucklechurch, Shortwood and Wick are literally fighting for their survival and I think the Government has underestimated the galvanising effect this has had on our local community.  Local people have now spoken and if Ministers ignore these serious concerns then they will exposed this consultation as nothing more than a cynical sham.”