There’s a real fear that parts of beautiful, rural Sussex will be concreted over if Labour are allowed to win the next General Election warns Mims Davies, the Conservative candidate for the new constituency of East Grinstead and Uckfield.
“Voting Lib Dem or Green will simply allow Labour to gain power and we will end up with new towns where we currently have lush, green pasture”, she says.
This is not just political speculation but was played out on television last weekend during a debate on the BBC South East’s Politics on Sunday show when Mims was in discussion with Labour’s MP from Brighton Kemp Town.
The south coast Socialist reiterated what Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer announced during his Party’s recent conference: his plans to build new towns and 1.5m homes, despite objection from locals. Sir Keir made it clear that he would "bulldoze through" the planning system in England if he wins power in next year’s election.
“Everything we hear from Labour is against localism, and it’s because they insist they know what’s best for you and your community”, warns Mims. “Local Plans are key; they mean you get more homes in the right places and more consensus in a difficult area of policy making.”
The Conservative Government is already on track to meet its manifesto commitment of delivering one-million homes during this Parliament.
“We have delivered nearly 250,000 homes through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, despite the challenges of the pandemic and wider economic climate”, she adds. “Our long-term plan for housing outlines how we can go further and deliver more of the homes this country needs.
“If we let Labour in, and a vote locally for the Greens or Lib Dems will only gift them power, we face a real danger of the South Downs and Sussex countryside being bulldozed, concreted over and our local views completely ignored.”
The Conservatives are backing the housing sector with an additional £37.5 million to support local authorities, including a new £24 million Planning Skills Delivery Fund to tackle backlogs, and £13.5 million as part of the long-term plan for housing that will upskill the sector with new planning super squads.
