Liberal Democrats 'not vehicle for nimbys' says Cotswold council chief amid calls for more housing
Cotswold District Council leader Joe Harris says the Liberal Democrats are not a “vehicle for nimbys” and his party wants to see more homes built across the country. The councillor, who represents St Michaels and Cirencester Beeches at district and Shire Hall respectively, made the comments at his party’s conference in Brighton over the weekend.
The housing crisis affecting the country is particularly acute in the Cotswold District which is the least affordable place to buy a house in Gloucestershire. It is the second most expensive place to buy residential property in the South West and it saw house prices rise by 61 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
Average house prices in the Cotswolds are 14 times higher than the average salary of just under £35,000. Around 2,500 households are unable to afford market rented housing in Cotswold District and 4,800 households aspire to home ownership.
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A total of 1,460 people are on the council’s housing waiting list and there is a need for approximately 6,900 adapted homes in Cotswold District between 2021 to 2041. And while District Leaders say solving the housing affordability issue is not just a local issue as there is a national housing crisis, the authority has a plan to tackle the issue.
So far they say they have a strong track record having delivered 6,277 new homes over the last ten years and built 1,972 new affordable homes since 2022. The council’s housing strategy aims to have everyone in the Cotswold District living in a healthy, affordable, low carbon home that meets their needs within a safe, sustainable and thriving community, which is accessible to all. How this would be achieved is yet to be seen.
“Some wrongly accuse our party of being a vehicle for nimbys,” Cllr Harris said at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton.
“That’s not us. I visit Lib Dem councils and councillors right across the country and the message is clear, conference, let’s say it loud and let’s say it clear. Lib Dems want more housing.
“We have a housing crisis and we are serious about tackling it. But we also need an infrastructure first approach to development.
“Many communities fear new development, not because they don’t recognise the housing crisis or they don’t want new houses in the area but because local infrastructure can’t cope. We’ve heard the arguments, traffic gridlock, pressure on our NHS services and our water network failing are just some of the issues that need tackling alongside the delivery of new homes and Liberal democrats will champion both.”
Conservative group leader Tom Stowe (Campden and Vale) said the council leader’s comments would “raise some eyebrows” in Moreton-in-Marsh amid plans “to dump 1,500 homes” on the market town. Concerns were raised earlier this year that people would be marching in the street to oppose the new housing due to the lack adequate infrastructure.
“Joe’s comments, regarding “Infrastructure First Development”, made while playing to the crowd at the Liberal Democrat conference, will certainly raise some eyebrows in Moreton-in-Marsh, where, after five years leading the council, all the Lib Dems have come up with are some vague plans to dump 1,500 houses on Moreton with little regard to future infrastructure requirement,” he said.
“There is undeniably a housing affordability crisis in our district and building further homes would seem to be one approach to help tackle this, however, it must be accompanied by robust infrastructure planning.”
Councillor Daryl Corps (C, Moreton West) said: “We look forward to seeing how Joe’s newfound enthusiasm for infrastructure planning helps to address the pressing issues causing worry and grave concern to residents in Moreton, including the strain on roads, schools, healthcare and waterworks.”