07 Nov 2023
With the threat of hundreds more houses across Harpenden’s Green Belt in the draft St Albans Local Plan, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate Victoria Collins has written to Michael Gove demanding more is done to fix what she describes as the broken planning system.
The Liberal Democrats believe housing numbers should be calculated from the bottom up, based on community housing needs and achievable local targets that also help protect the Green Belt.
Victoria said: “We’d also like to see local councils set binding affordable and social housing targets so we’re building the homes we actually need, as well as ensuring all developments have appropriate infrastructure.
“The current top-down approach to planning under Michael Gove and the Conservatives has left communities feeling powerless and underserved, while power remains with developers, without fixing the housing crisis. The people of Harpenden and our villages deserve better.
“Many people understand the need to build houses to help a whole generation afford their own home. The Liberal Democrats want to build the right homes in the right places, with the right infrastructure.
“I’ve written to Michael Gove to ask for real solutions. The Liberal Democrats want to fix our housing crisis and the broken planning system, while protecting and empowering our local communities.”
