Lib Dems in Hinckley and Bosworth vow to challenge Govt’s “power grab” on planning

Liberal Democrats have warned that the Government's planning proposals will "disempower" local authorities like Hinckley and Bosworth and allow developers to "run roughshod" over local communities' wishes.

A motion agreed at the Party's Autumn Conference, making it official party policy, lays bare the risks of the Government's proposals, which the Party argue amount to a Government "power grab" that will reduce investment in affordable housing in Hinckley and Bosworth and elsewhere.

In supporting the motion, Liberal Democrats reaffirmed their commitment to challenging the move through the Government's consultation process, and rejected the "reduction of local control."

Hinckley Lib Dem County and Borough Councillor Michael Mullaney said

"People living in Hinckley and Bosworth are the people best placed to make sure planning decisions shape our communities for the better. But this Conservative Government's planning reforms will strip all that away. We've already seen how Planning Inspectors ignore local opinion and democratic decison making by forcing through development on the Big Pit in Hinckley, when residents and local councillors objected to these plans as they knew the Big Pit was the wrong site for a housing development.

"With nine out of ten planning proposals approved nationwide, it's certainly not the planning system that is causing problems. Liberal Democrats in Hinckley and Bosworth wholeheartedly object to these proposals, which do nothing to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing, undermine our climate commitments, put our local heritage at risk and are likely to put even more pressure on sturggling local infrastructure."

Liberal Democrat Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson Tim Farron added:

"Instead of addressing the root cause of the housing crisis, the Tories' proposals serve the interests of wealthy developers, giving them carte blanche to run roughshod over local communities' wishes.

"Liberal Democrats at every level of Government will do everything in our power to ensure our voice is heard through the consultation process. We are also calling on the Government to act now to address the housing crisis, by matching the Liberal Democrats' ambition to build 100,000 social homes for rent every year."