A General Election candidate says the over-development of Lichfield and Burntwood would get worse under Labour.
The issue of housing development across the district could be among the issues up for debate at a hustings event at Lichfield Cathedral this evening (28th June).
But Sir Michael Fabricant, who will represent the Conservatives on 4th July, said the volume of housing will rocket under Labour:
“I am very concerned by the amount of over-development in Lichfield and Burntwood and some surrounding villages as it is.
“But if Sir Keir Starmer has his way and ‘bulldozes through existing planning laws’ as he puts it, we will have many more.
“And this will be compounded by Angela Raynor’s pledge insisting that all local authorities must house asylum seekers who will be eligible for places in 1.5million new social housing homes imposed on local authorities. This will eat still further into our green belt.
“While Labour claim many illegal asylum seekers will be ‘sent home’, most are from Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria with whom we are unable to negotiate. I just don’t see the Taliban cooperating with Sir Keir on this one.
“Whatever we might think of the Rwanda policy, it is deterring illegal migrants attempting the dangerous English Channel crossing. Some migrants are now moving to Ireland instead to escape detention and deportation to Rwanda. Labour say they will abandon the Rwanda policy, but offer no practical alternative.
“Meanwhile, we should be following the example of the former Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands who met his housing targets by building on brown field sites and former industrial land and not on green fields.”
Sir Michael Fabricant
Seven candidates will stand in the Lichfield constituency:
- Sir Michael Fabricant – Conservatives
- Richard Howard – Reform UK
- Pete Longman – Independent
- John Madden – Independent
- Heather McNeillis – Green Party
- Paul Ray – Liberal Democrats
- Dave Robertson – Labour
Does that also include cutting the Grass, fixing the pavements and filling in potholes ?
Surely the West Midland Mayor solved the problem by transfering the responsibility to surrounding areas under the compulsory uptake legislation.
We are all judged by performance and promises for tomorrow are worthless if the last fourteen years have been so disastrous.
The choice for me is, do you want more of the same or does another party deserve a chance?
I will concede that, unless immigration can be controlled, more housing seems inevitable. The existing property ownership also needs a new approach to prevent buy to let and housing associations from charging exorbitant rents.
. Social housing is definitely required in this area and any positive news about this should be welcomed .
In 2005 he said: “We should introduce small ‘one-stop’ accommodation centres for all new arrivals so that their applications can be processed quickly and efficiently.” In that same year he claimed that Whittington Barracks would become an “Asylum Camp”. In fact it became the Defence Medical Services
.
In 2017 the Conservative Minister overturned the district council’s refusal of planning permission for the 750 houses for Watery Lane even though they had been supported by the independent planning inspector. Unfortunately his government had introduced new rules and Lichfield was the first council to be a victim of this change in planning guidance. This has now opened the door for 3,500 more properties.Yet the self-proclaimed hardest working MP in the Commons has remained silent on this – just as my Freedom of Information questions exposed his lack of action on Burntwood’s still not built Health Centre.
So, check the record before you vote.
Who has allowed the buildings on green belt land already ? Who hasn’t provided extra schools or even the upkeep of existing one from falling down ?
Who is closing Burntwood Health Drs surgery displacing thousands of patients to already struggling surgery’s?
Look at what has improved under the Conservatives. Nothing . What has our MP done in the last 14 years ? Support brexit, that has worked out well. Support Boris, who let the bodies pile up partying baboon. Support Truss, made the economy crumble. Support our PM now who was responsible for the RBS crash. We need new blood. Not a new cinema. Or a Tory mouthpiece.
Let’s finally vote this clown out
Dear Mike,
There have always been brownfield sites available, but they don’t get built on because greenfield is more profitable for the developers. We all know that. You know that. You allow the developers to cherry pick because they have your party in their pocket. We all know that. You know that. But anyway, what are your plans after next week? Strictly or I’m a Celeb? Do let us know x
Typical Tory hypocrisy! On the one hand, Michael Fabricant is scaremongering about house building under Labour, while, on the other hand, he owns a small country estate in Wales with 32 acres of land. This is his holiday home (shared with ‘a friend’) and comes on top of his pad in London and the property he rents in Lichfield.
With people like Fabricant owning substantial second homes that are standing empty for much of the time, it is no wonder there is a shortage of affordable homes for ordinary people. And let’s not forget, his old boss, Boris, actively promoted the sale of expensive investment properties in central London to super-rich, foreign investors. These properties likewise stand empty while more unfortunate souls sleep on the streets and families struggle to afford extortionate rents, unable to buy their own home.
Could the Tories be any more out of touch with the people they are meant to represent?
Clare, he doesn’t pay for his Lichfield accommodation we do.
The tories keep saying they will cut taxes, if so how do they plan to pay for all their plans. No doubt cutting welfare benefits for the sick and disabled.
It was a conservative secretary of state who, after Lichfield council refused permission then the planning inspector refused permission, decided to call the decision in to make himself and gave permission for thousands of homes off watery lane!