Local Tories Exposed: They Supported Housing Numbers

7.24.00pm GMT Tue 23rd Dec 2008

Uttlesford Conservatives' proposed new town in Elsenham and Henham.

In a letter to the local press, District Councillor Catherine Dean has blasted the distortions being peddled by local Conservatives, who are trying to deny that it was the Conservatives who are to blame for Elsenham eco-town.

Cllr Dean writes:-

"My husband, Alan Dean, does not need me to defend him, but Cllr Ray Gooding's letter of 18th December contains so many distortions that I am compelled to reply. I'm not sure whether Cllr Gooding has deliberately chosen to misunderstand Alan's letter or whether he really is ignorant of the history of housing allocations for the Uttlesford District.

Let me give some facts, rather than the fictions of Cllr Gooding's letter.

The Council unanimously agreed across all political parties to accept the housing numbers proposed for Uttlesford by the Regional Assembly (Council Meeting 15th February 2005). It was acknowledged that accommodating the houses would be challenging, but when compared to the larger numbers allocated to other districts in the region, it was considered that Uttlesford got off quite lightly. So it is complete nonsense to accuse Alan of being the architect of the housing allocation.

As for Option 4 (3,000 houses at Elsenham and 1,200 in the main settlements), Cllr Gooding again has the effrontery to lay the blame at Alan's door. Let me remind him that it was the Conservative administration at Uttlesford that pulled the option out of a hat at the last minute in September 2007, without consulting residents or their elected representatives. The public had put a new settlement in tenth place out of ten, and no studies had been carried out to assess the impact of development on Elsenham and Henham. It is Uttlesford Conservatives who should be hanging their heads in shame for "distress and devastation" to the local community. The residents that I represent will not be fooled by Cllr Gooding's desperate attempt to find scapegoats."

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Read here how Tory county councillor Ray Gooding attempts to make out that Lib Dem councillor Alan Dean, as one of a 100 members of the East of England Regional Assembly, is solely responsible for the region's allocation of housing to Uttlesford and for the eco-town plan at Elsenham:

http://www.saffronwaldenconservatives.com/index.php?sectionid=3&pagenumber=249

Read here the truth that Tory councillors Cheetham, Barker (formerly Flack) and Ketteridge joined the whole council at Uttlesford in unanimously supporting the housing allocation and that Cllrs Cheetham and Barker (Flack) properly declared their membership of EERA along with Alan Dean:

The Minutes of the Full Council Meeting on 15th February 2005 (minute C87 - DRAFT EAST OF ENGLAND PLAN)can be found at http://ggpweb.uttlesford.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=11117

Read here the truth that Uttlesford objected to all new housing being located only around Dunmow. The proposal was removed from the regional plan after Alan Dean made representations at EERA on behalf of the council. Also read here that Uttlesford in 2005 objected to a new village in the district, a principle reneged on by the Tories in 2007 with their ill-considered Option 4 proposal.

The Minutes of the Environment Committee on 8th March 2005 (minute E42 - EAST OF ENGLAND PLAN) can be found at http://ggpweb.uttlesford.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=11144

Alan Dean comments: I despair at Uttlesford Tories. Yet again they attempt to rewrite history to mislead the public in a vain attempt to blame others for their own incompetence. Until they accept responsibility for their own mistakes and give the proper leadership for which they are paid by the taxpayer, they will not regain the respect of the public. I suspect some of their own members are ashamed of their collective antics. If they are incapable of delivering on the responsibilities of elected office, are suffering from collective amnesia or simply can't face up to the truth, it is time they stood aside and let people of integrity and competence run the council.

Related Links:

Conservatives want to shun their housing responsibilities

Ray Gooding's letter