The East of England Regional Assembly has revised its projected new house building figures up from 510,000 to potentially 680,000 with Bedfordshire top of the hit list for substantial growth. The Marston Vale continues to be quoted despite successful political and community blocking of the misguided 20,000 homes ‘eco-town’.
MMAG considers EERA’s latest pronouncement fatally flawed:
- EERA projections are reliant on central government statistics – so much for local people deciding what housing is needed.
- The future of the EERA is uncertain and their relevance is therefore questionable.
- Local authorities are already meeting targets for local housing need and are struggling to build extra housing, the Wixams being a case in point. Has EERA not notice there is a recession?
- It is unclear who this extra housing is for? Once again housing need elsewhere is being imported into Bedfordshire’s shrinking countryside.
MMAG welcomes the opportunity to encourage a more rational approach to meeting future housing need where local people have a real influence over the future of their landscape
Hugh Roberts, Chair of MMAG said:
“EERA has stated publicly that they want local communities to be engaged in the debate and to influence where the new housing allocations go. MMAG will continue to represent our community and remind EERA that our arguments against the ill conceived ‘eco-town’ were sound and stand close scrutiny for any large scale development. This country needs agriculture land to feed us; village communities have the right not to be forced into large scale urban communities and there is no sound argument for joining up Bedford with Milton Keynes into one New Town through housing growth in the Marston Vale”
Note to Editors:
- The MMETAG was formed on June 24th 2008 to organise opposition to the eco-towns and has no political affiliations.
- MMEATG re-launched as Marston Moreteyne Action Group (MMAG) on 19th April 2009
- Media representation welcome (ring 01234 768 575)
