Fresh Call For Conservatives To Abandon New Town

10.13.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 3rd Jun 2008

Uttlesford Conservatives' proposed new town in Elsenham and Henham.

Uttlesford's Liberal Democrat opposition is again calling on the ruling Conservatives to abandon their new town proposals for the district. At the council's environment committee on June 17th they will propose that the council scraps its plan for a 3,000 plus new town between Elsenham and Henham as well as opposing the government's nearly identical 5,000 home eco-town proposal at the same location.

Elsenham and Henham member, Cllr Catherine Dean, who is the Lib Dem environment spokesperson, said: "The council has another chance to regain some credibility with local people on 17th June at the council's environment committee. The Liberal Democrats will again propose that a managed distribution of new homes across local towns and villages is better than opening up the floodgates to massive new settlements all across rural Uttlesford."

Since the Conservatives agreed last September to the principle of new settlements in rural Uttlesford the district has been faced with new town proposals from as far apart as Great Chesterford, Elsenham/Henham, The Canfields, Little Dunmow and Stebbing.

Lib Dem leader, Cllr Peter Wilcock, added: "Uttlesford is fast becoming the council of lost opportunities. It's no good the Tories blaming the government. That is crude party politics that does not help local people. Now is the time for Uttlesford Conservatives to stop blocking the Lib Dems' ideas, especially as they are now backed by the local Conservative MP."