Thanet Green Party believes there is a growing strength of feeling across Thanet to halt plans to include even more houses in the Local Plan on top of the already excessive 17,000 currently allocated.
It is generally acknowledged that the ONS figures being used are incorrect, as stated by a number of witnesses at the recent Shottendane public enquiry, including North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale.
Thanet Green Party Leader, Cllr Mike Garner, has written to TDC Council Leader, Ash Ashbee, calling on her to halt the current Local Plan review process and write to the Secretary of State, Michael Gove asking for our housing targets to be reset to a level more consistent with both our significant environmental and well publicised infrastructure constraints.
Councillor Garner added “A number of other councils in the Southeast, including Conservative controlled Mid Sussex, have already done this and we believe we need to take action before it’s too late”.
Newly elected Thanet Villages Councillor Abi Smith said “The planned overdevelopment of our Greenfield sites was the issue raised most on the doorsteps during the recent by-election campaign. On top of the well-known issues with Southern Water’s infrastructure, we’ve recently learnt more about the damage being done to the internationally important reed beds at Stodmarsh caused by increasing levels of nitrates and phosphates in the River Stour, due in part to overdevelopment across the region. Residents expect us to take action now to protect our environment.”