In an open letter to Cllr Rachel Millward (pictured above), the Leader of the Green Party-led Alliance which runs Wealden District Council, and her Green Party colleague cabinet member for planning, Cllr Ian Tysh, a Wealden Conservative councillor is urging the administration to come clean on the fate of their failing Local Plan.
District Councillor Michael Lunn representing Rotherfield and Hadlow Down also urges the Alliance to disassociate themselves from collaborating with local Labour Councillors on whose support they depend to remain in power, and the Labour mandatory housing targets. Many councillors from across the political spectrum fear these housing targets threatens to double annual development numbers compared to when the Conservatives ran the District.
“Annual national house building targets have risen from 300,000 under the previous Conservative government to 370,000 under Labour” says Cllr Michael Lunn. He also points out that these targets have gone from being advisory numbers under the Conservatives to mandatory under Labour.
Cllr Lunn reminds the Wealden Green Party Leader that she came to power promising to address over-development and protect our local landscape, but proceeded to produce a local plan for consultation which projected 955 houses per annum (19,950 over the planning period), more than the 855 annual average delivered by the outgoing Wealden District Conservatives.
He adds: “We are now faced with the prospect of that number rising under Labour’s mandatory adopted formula to as many as 1,759 homes per annum, a staggering 84% rise versus the Alliance's own draft Local Plan with no scope for local discretion.”
“Despite the significant implications for our district, there has been silence from both the portfolio holder and yourself as leader. Numerous councillors have sought clarity on how these targets will impact the local plan, yet no updates have been provided to elected members. This failure to communicate is deeply troubling given the gravity of the situation and the widespread concerns of residents and councillors alike. “
Cllr Lunn went on to chide Cllr Millward for her comments during the general election when she described the election of local Green MPs and a Labour government as a “win win”. He added: “Labour were very publicly committed to mandatory increased housing targets. You knew this.
"It seems to me that for the residents of Wealden, the election of a Labour government has already been very far from a “win win” and will have lasting adverse impacts on our lovely local environment. Your continued reliance on the support of Labour Councillors to prop up your administration smells of hypocrisy.”
It is believed that the Wealden Alliance Local Plan process has cost as much as £4 million to date, and another round of housing numbers are yet to be added.
Changes of the magnitude discussed, imposed by Labour Party policy, will in all likelihood cost local taxpayers a substantial further sum.
This can only come at the expense of local services and more important destroy our local landscapes where there is little investment in infrastructure.
Cllr Lunn believes that the Green Leader must be honest with the residents of Wealden.
Green Party's Rachel Millward is pictured above, chairing a Wealden Cabinet meeting.
