Northumberland Conservative's and voters lock horns over fantasy election promises

This week we see Northumberland Conservatives in a blind panic as the Core Strategy removal brings about appeal wins for developers. One of the reasons being the removal of the Core Strategy.

One of the things the Local Tory to me in Amble was going round saying was they would stop the excessive developments in Amble and ensure that the "March of the Developers" as they called it on literature stopped. This hasn't happened they have made the situation worse.

Labour warned as did I specifically making references to key issues in a Withdrawal report provided by the planning department. In that it said a range of worrying things. The Labour Group moved at motion offering an alternative. Removing the Core Strategy would create a free for all with communities trampled on and suggested leaving the Core Strategy in place and make modifications to it. This did not succeed. So now we have a Party who said they would halt developers actually offering them the keys to the county.

I am in favour of house building in Northumberland, however for me it must be guided house building in areas that need them, where the demand is present. Ideally a plan would be available to guide developers in the right direction that was a cross party document created over many years ( oh wait that's just been removed).

Major Land Agents now advertise Northumberland as a free for all and call on those with land banks to come forward. It's just a complete mess, all created because of fantasy election pledges they knew they couldn't deliver and this shocking attempt to try and appease those who voted for them simply to remove the Core Strategy is disgraceful disaster. All it has done is put ALL communities across the County at risk.

One Tory Councillor told me "We were told it would be fine, the leadership said a few months until we submit one and now its potentially 3yrs. Our lot haven't got a clue".

We have seen 2000 homes approved so far with nearly 1000 being in Amble alone. They've even cancelled the new school, car parks and other infrastructure being offered for the town. Amble is just one example of where this is all going badly wrong for the Conservatives and the few supporters they have left.

Recent letter from an inspector that referred to the embarrassing position of the authority:

Northumberland Gazette refers to a recent planning decision by the Planning Inspectorate here Withdrawal of plan a key factor in appeal success Read more