Thursday 10 January 2008

68,700 new houses for Cornwall?

The findings of the ‘Examination in Public’ into the ‘Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West’ (RSS), produced by the unelected SW Regional Assembly, were released on Wednesday (9th January).

It contains the bombshell that the RSS plans to massively increase house-building and proposes that 68,700 houses be built in Cornwall over the next 20 years.

The original Draft RSS was published in 2006 and proposed that a hefty 45,000 houses be built in Cornwall over the next two decades. The new figures represents a further increase of 53% which equates to an extra 23,700 properties.

The document outlines that the housing should be spread across Cornwall as follows:

· Caradon – 6,500 housing units (an increase of 700 on the original document)
· Carrick - 10,900 housing units (an increase of 900)
· Kerrier – 14,400 housing units (an increase of 6,200)
· North Cornwall – 13,400 housing units (an increase of 5,800)
· Penwith - 7,800 housing units (an increase of 3,000)
· Restormel - 15,700 housing units (an increase of 7,100)

I am very shocked by the news at the moment and consider it mind-boggling that a mere handful of people in unelected and unaccountable SW quango-and can come up with such ridiculous proposals which, if allowed to proceed, will have such a disastrous impact on Cornish communities, our local environment and infrastructure.

I will post more on this as and when I receive it.

2 comments:

Bob Hayes said...

Great job on Radio Cornwall today Dick. Disappointing how little attention this is getting elsewhere though - I've just looked at the local papers' web sites and bbc.co.uk/cornwall and no sign of this. I would have thought it needs shouting from the rooftops to wake up those who still think it's worth voting for the London parties. Makes me wonder who pulls their strings some times.

Anonymous said...

7,800 new houses in Penwith? This government should be prosecuted for eco-vandalism of one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain. Just visit Southern ireland and see the damage done there in the name of so-called 'progress'.

Keep up the good work of defending Cornwall, MK!