Northumberland Tories out of Touch with their Ministers Views as well as the public

Speaking from the Tory Conference in Manchester on 1 October 2017, Tory Minster, Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid attacked traditional Tory voters and Councils within his speech hitting out at so-called Nimbies for being a “national outrage” for blocking the prospects of future generations. He criticised homeowners who “sit on a nice nest egg” but oppose housing developments. Mr Javid said: “I think all Governments, including previous Conservative governments, have not taken [housing] seriously enough in the past. We have been listening too much to those people that are against development under any circumstances.” Mr Javid also said the planning system needed an overhaul, as it had for too long been in control of those opposing development. His speech opens up the debate in Northumberland as to why the Tories removed the Counties safeguard from over development, the document known as the Local Core Strategy so that they can protect ‘nimbyism’ and stop the document being inspected by Sajid Javids department. People also want to know why, now that they are in control of the planning system in Northumberland, they are dumping housing numbers on the South East and Rural Coalfield areas of the County in order to pay back their Nimby supporters in the West and North? In his final speech to Council in April 2017 before retiring, one of the Counties most experienced planning councillors, Councillor Paul Kelly who led the strategic planning committee, spoke about the word Conservative and how he believed the Tories want to preserve rural Northumberland in aspic. At the time of his speech Councillor Kelly wasn’t armed with the knowledge that the Tory nimby crew would rush into blind panic and remove the Core Strategy from final examination but the Tory attitude towards rural growth in Northumberland will deny infrastructure improvements to 92% of the County, forcing growth in housing, health and jobs onto the remaining 8% of the vastness that is Northumberland.