Plea to MPs over unrestrained development
22nd January 2015
Our campaigners have met with local MPs Sir Tony Baldry and John Howell to call for an end to unrestrained development in the county.
Campaigners from CPRE Oxfordshire and ROAR met yesterday (21 Jan) with local MPs Sir Tony Baldry and John Howell, to discuss concerns about unrestrained development in the County.
ROAR (Rural Oxfordshire Action Rally) is an independent group of concerned residents and action groups committed to raising awareness of the growing damage to rural areas from the loosening of national planning regulations. The meeting comes ahead of ROAR’s first Oxfordshire-wide public rally in Witney, 11am-12.30pm, this Saturday 24 January.
Helen Marshall, Director, CPRE Oxfordshire, said: “Many of our local communities are having to deal with large-scale inappropriate developments, but there is also huge concern about the overall proposals to increase housing in the area by 40% within just 17 years. It was good to have an opportunity to put forward these concerns in person.
“The Government needs to help our local authorities stand up to well-funded developers who are inflating the housing numbers and intimidating councils into giving overriding weight to these numbers, rather than the greener parts of national planning policy.”
Peter Jay, Chairman, ROAR, said: “People are both sad to see their rural areas under such threat, and furious that their voices are not being heard. We would like to see widespread consensus that national planning rules will be reviewed after the General Election.”
CPRE also sought confirmation from the MPs that the newly-formed Oxfordshire Growth Board would not remove sovereignty on planning matters from the individual District Authorities.
Helen Marshall added: “John Howell indicated that he would like to stay in touch with us over the coming months so we hope there will be further opportunities to raise these issues.”
CPRE Oxfordshire and ROAR are also raising these issues through a joint E-petition.
It asks Eric Pickles, and Oxfordshire MPs to ‘end the unrestrained development in Oxfordshire’.
Please take the time to sign up – it is your chance to influence decisions being made about Oxfordshire’s future!
Click on photo for full image. From l to r: John Howell MP, Peter Jay (Chairman, ROAR), Sir Tony Baldry MP, Brian Wood (Chairman, CPRE Oxfordshire), Helen Marshall (Director, CPRE Oxfordshire), and ROAR campaigners Oliver Chapple, Jennifer Allen and Alan Lodwick.