WARRINGTON South MP Faisal Rashid has arranged for an additional consultation event in his constituency for residents to have a say on the controversial plans for thousands of extra homes on greenfield sites in the south of the borough.
The meeting will be at the Park Royal Hotel, Stretton, on Monday September 4 between 3pm and 8pm.
Council officers will be present and Mr Rashid will be attending himself – and hopes to see as many local people as possible there.
The MP has already tried to get Warrington Borough Council to extend the consultation deadline to help residents who may be away on holiday. But the council refused to budge.
However, they have agreed to extend the deadline for parish councils to September 29.
Mr Rashid said: “I am pleased that the council has decided to extend the consultation deadline for parish councils. This means that they can send in their comments, and those they receive from residents, until September 29.”
He said it was important for Warrington South residents to have their say on the future development of the town.
“The Local Plan is a significant piece of work and the involvement of local people in shaping it is crucial. Many people will have views on the proposals and I want to ensure, as the local MP, that those views are heard.
“It is essential that local people have the maximum opportunity to have their say on the future of where they live, work and run a business.
During the consultation event, I want to hear from as many constituents as possible so that I can feed their comments back to Warrington Borough Council. I will ensure that the views of local people are heard and fairly represented in this process.”
The MP stresses that people who are unable to attend the meeting, or any of the other consultation events taking place, can view the proposals and have a say by visiting
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/info/201368/local_plan_review/2274/local_plan_review
He also reminds residents that he holds regular surgeries, every Friday, by appointment and open surgeries on the first Saturday of the month. More details can be obtained from his constituency office on 01925 657 600.
5 Comments
“The Local Plan is a significant piece of work and the involvement of local people in shaping it is crucial.”
The involvement of local people IS crucial, as the local plan is supposed to be ‘community led’ so WBC will want to ‘tick the box’ for high attendance. Whether or not they give the public’s views any real consideration is another matter.
WBC have refused to extend the consultation period for residents and Faisal Rashid seems to have just accepted that decision.
I think it’s about time both of our Labour MP’s and the Labour Party Group & Members stood up to a handful of Labour councillors who are not acting according to the Labour manifesto on housing.
Just a few points from the Labour manifesto on Housing:
Labour promises to;
Invest to build over a million new homes. By the end of the next parliament be building at least 100,000 council and housing association homes a year for genuinely affordable rent or sale
Prioritise brownfield sites and protect the green belt.
Ensure that local plans address the need for older people’s housing, ensuring that choice and downsizing options are readily available.
Build thousands more low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers.
Give local people buying their first home ‘first dibs’ on new homes built in their area to give them confidence that new homes will be available to them and their families.
Where in the Warrington proposed local plan is there any evidence that our Labour controlled town is fulfilling the promises that are set out in their own manifesto?
The local plan proposals are to massively expand the town, destroy green belt /green land to create commuter dormitory estates of council tax band D housing – this will do nothing at all to solve the housing problems of the residents of the town, all it will achieve for us is to make our lives a lot worse.
As our MP’s, Faisal Rashid and Helen Jones should have more clout than those on local council level.
I would suggest they use the power we have given them to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING!
Have they yet contacted John Healy Shadow Secretary of State for Housing or Sajid Javid. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government about this matter?
I would also suggest that any of our borough councillors who wish to remain our borough councillors also ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING!
What you must remember is that it is the people of Warrington who ultimately hold the power and you can all be easily replaced!
(website link. for Manifesto on Housing – from all political parties.)
https://www.local.gov.uk/…/9.38%20LGA%20MANIFESTO_HOUSING%20AND%2…
1. Cached
There no question whatsoever on this council’s intention to make our Town into a City. Nor is there any doubt its housing calculations set out in the Local Plan are based on that aspiration. The following extracts from the supporting documents confirm this council’s intentions:
“The Preferred Development Option one identifies four main areas of growth – The City Centre, the Waterfront, the Garden City Suburb and the South West Urban Extension. 5.5
* reflect the Council’s New City development aspirations as set out in the Warrington Means Business 4.37
* infrastructure necessary to deliver the New City and regenerate Inner Warrington; 4.37
* To enable the transition of Warrington from a New Town to a New City through the ongoing regeneration of Inner Warrington. 4.38”
So all the sanctimonious claims made by some councillors that “housing is their priority, not the objective of becoming a city,” need to be considered in light of the overarching aim of achieving City status.
It follows if we remain a town the housing requirements, including building on the green belt and the mix of affordable, social and developer housing will not as listed in the Local Plan.
“It is essential that local people have the maximum opportunity to have their say on the future of where they live, work and run a business. During the consultation event, I want to hear from as many constituents as possible so that I can feed their comments back to Warrington Borough Council. I will ensure that the views of local people are heard and fairly represented in this process.”
Yeah, right.
Let’s hope the event at the Park Royal is treated a little better by people than the Lymm event yesterday. I live in Grappenhall and the proposals affect my local area a fair bit but I have to say that the attitudes of some who attended towards the council representatives was nothing short of obnoxious and rude. The event was packed out and the muggy weather didn’t help but heckling and giving obscenities to the staff isn’t going to get any valid points across.
As noted in comments on the forum, people have received notices that their homes may be subject to compulsory purchase & demolition.
A little more disturbing for them than the packed out venue or muggy weather you had to suffer!
I think most people would understand them being angry and upset.