John Redwood

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Government Inspector’s Report into new housebuilding

The Rt Hon John Redwood MP responded today to the Government Inspector’s Report into new housebuilding in the South East.  He said:

“Once again this government has decided to force more building onto the hard pressed South East in general, and congested Wokingham and West Berkshire in particular, against the wishes of local people and Councils. Once again there is no wish to provide the railway lines, roads, hospitals and schools all the extra people living in the new housing will require. Once again there is no offer of compensation to all who will lose amenity, see green spaces eroded and  property values damaged.

At least the Inspectors recognise that the Prime Ministers call for more homes in the South east is unrealistic, and have scaled back his figures. They should go one step further, and agree the figures with each Council, as each Council is elected to represent local opinion and to strike a balance between the need for some new homes for a growing population, and the need to protect the environment.

The government should recognise that it needs to place some control over the numbers of migrants we welcome in the UK, and needs to set interest rates at sensible levels to avoid debt ridden increases in house prices in the way we have seen in recent years. The problem of house prices cannot be solved by mass building”