Comment: New homes plan is a step too far (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Comment: New homes plan is a step too far

11:51am Thursday 2nd August 2012 in Opinion By Telegraph comment

THE construction industry has been hit hard by the economic slowdown and the government is keen to see it revive.

We are also told there is a big demand for new homes right across the country. The last quarter, according to the National House Building Council, saw new home registrations down by 24 per cent on the same quarter of last year.

At the same time the government has been talking about increasing flexibility in the planning system.

However the prospect of 504 new houses going up between Whalley and Clitheroe is clearly a step too far.

The planning application before Ribble Valley Council would more than double the number of households in the largely rural parish of Wiswell with Barrow.

At a time when hundreds of homes and disused industrial sites are lying empty and derelict in the neighbouring boroughs it seems shortsighted to allow massive developments to go ahead in open fields.

Such an enormous expansion would also impose huge pressures on sewerage and other services not to mention education and public transport facilities which would have to be paid for.

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