Vince Cable meets CALM

Community Action
for
Lytchett Matravers

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT MY BACK YARD;
IT IS ABOUT THE NATION'S FRONT GARDEN"

Vince Cable meets CALM

Saturday 28th June 2008
Dr. Vince Cable, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, his wife Rachel, and our own MP Annette Brooke attended a meeting in the Village Hall with a number of local councillors, members of CALM and other local residents to discuss the Western Extension issue.

Annette Brooke MP congratulated CALM on the progress they had made since their formation after the public meeting on April 5th, and stressed the need for a well-evidenced approach to this issue. Since attending that meeting, Annette had introduced an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on Greenbelt policy and was reassured that "green belt land will continue to be protected in an extremely robust manner by this Government." Annette then introduced Dr. Cable to the group.

Vince Cable pledged his support to Annette and to the campaigners, and referred to the very "strange and unsatisfactory" way in which the development proposal had found its way into the RSS. He described how in setting targets for housing numbers, the Government had made a series of assumptions: that the size of the population - including the influx of people from overseas - would continue to grow at the current rate; that the economy will continue to boom as it has over the last ten years; and that the 'need' for housing is the same as the 'demand' for housing.

Dr. Cable suggested that these Government forecasts are questionable considering the current economic climate and expressed concern that the Government would permanently undermine our environment based on false assumptions. The last ten years had been unusual in the rapid economic growth, low inflation and low unemployment; but this could not continue, as the recent signs of a downturn in the economy shows. There are also signs that the influx of people from overseas would not continue at the same rate.

The building industry is struggling to sell houses, development projects are simply being stopped unfinished, and there was a likelihood of at least one of the larger developers facing bankruptcy in the near future. He suggested that the state of the housing market was not linked with underlying housing demand - there is a need for housing, particularly affordable housing, but that large new developments do not address this need because many new houses are purchased as second homes, investment or speculative opportunities. Even if we do need more housing, affordable and social housing tend to be more successfully developed in small clusters in existing communities rather than as a percentage of new builds in larger developments.

Vince Cable ended his address to the group by warning them that anyone opposing development in this way are bound to be accused of NIMBY-ism and that they would need to address this accusation first and foremost. He reiterated his support and promised to stay in contact with Annette concerning this issue.

CALM would like to thank Dr. Cable and his wife Rachel, Annette Brooke, and all those who attended this meeting.