Conservative Group Spokesman on Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Cllr. Nemeth has today unveiled the Conservative Group’s approach to City Plan Part 2 following the deadline for party amendments to the plan.
The Conservative Group has put forward 30 amendments to the far-reaching plan; while Labour has offered none.
Cllr Nemeth, who has been coordinating the Group’s amendments on City Plan Part 2, said Conservative amendments would be based around three pillars:
- protecting the family home
- delivering a low-carbon future
- saving the City’s greenfield sites from development.
“Key to our strategy is encouraging the creation and protection of homes of all shapes and sizes rather than accepting the continued push for smaller and smaller homes. As part of this, we will be moving to stop the continued assault by the Labour/Green Administration on family homes. Our amendments seek to ensure that there is a place for everyone in our City in the future”, Cllr Nemeth said.
“Continuing our successful work to protect green spaces and promote biodiversity, we are embracing residents’ concern for the environment by taking a stand against the destruction of more greenfield land. As Conservatives we have fought time and again to protect greenfield land and we will be taking up that fight on behalf of residents once again.
“Labour’s failure to bring forward brownfield sites in Brighton & Hove for development over its five years in administration has led to this alarming plan to push into greenfield land, much of which contains important and rare species of plant. The environment should not have to suffer because of this Labour administration’s mismanagement of the housing portfolio.
“We will also be moving to ensure that this plan actually delivers a thriving low-carbon economy whilst boosting our economy. We have great concerns that the plan does not go far enough and that it will be out of date before it is implemented. This must be addressed” Cllr Nemeth said.
Conservative Group Leader Steve Bell said the environment should not have to suffer because of the Labour Administration’s failure to properly develop brownfield land in the city.
“The Labour administration, which has been in power for 5 years, has failed to unlock the potential of brownfield sites in the City” Cllr Bell said.
“Residents often comment on the many vacant brownfield sites and empty plots of land they see dotted around the city which Labour has not managed or developed properly.
“We have fought to protect our greenfield land in the past and our Conservative Group will take a strong stand against the development of the City’s greenfield land” Cllr Bell said.
The City Plan is Brighton & Hove’s development plan to 2030. Work started on City Plan Part 1 in 2011 and was adopted in 2016. City Plan Part 2 supports implementation and delivery of Part 1 by complementing the strategic policy framework; identifying and allocating additional development sites; and setting a detailed development management framework to assist in the determination of planning applications.
As one of the largest pieces of work that the Council carries out, it was due to be debated and voted upon at Full Council on 2nd April 2020. This has been temporarily postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
ENDS.
