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
