For too long, the interests of the people in the Ribble Valley have come second-place to the interests of housing developers.
House builders have profited whilst residents have been left with problems such as increased traffic on the roads, a shortage of school places and greater difficulties getting doctor’s appointments or accessing other healthcare. Developers are motivated to build by profit rather than need and this determines what they build, when they build it and where.
Labour will restore the balance in favour of the people so that everyone in our community can benefit from properly planned, sustainable housing and the improved infrastructure necessary to make the developments acceptable.
At the 2015 Council elections we campaigned to introduce the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as it provides a fairer, more certain and more transparent system than the use of planning agreements. Yet despite adopting the Core Strategy in 2014 the Conservatives have done nothing to implement the CIL.
Labour will not allow developers to negotiate down their contribution to infrastructure in the Ribble Valley as happened with the Waddow View and Standen developments in Clitheroe. Adopting the CIL means developers will know exactly what their contribution will be and – they will have to pay it!