Housing hypocrisy

“Chichester’s problems are down to Chichester to resolve within their boundaries.”

Says it all.

Libya’s problems left to Colonel Gaddafi? Greece, sort out your problems, no EU help? UK banks, you got into that mess, don’t ask for a bail-out? Unemployed, on yer bikes.

National spirit? No way. Care for others? Not at all. A disgusting abnegation of duty, a nauseating “pull up the ladder”. There’s empty homes in that thar Wigan, eh councillor?

I find it hypocritical that those whose homes occupy now what was once greenbelt land use that argument to justify no development at all.

Didn’t stop your nice homes from being built, did it? And how many of you could not afford to buy at market price?

Had a select committee, did we? How convincing – its remit was to arrive at the very conclusion Mr Bower tells us about. Ford not viable? Brownfield, large area, close to existing rail station and so much more.

So Bognor was considered for 2,500 extra homes tacked on its outskirts. No select committee there.

Littlehampton about to get another 600 plonked on top, and we’re told there’s room for several hundred inside the perimeters of our towns, adding to over-development and lack of amenity.

If every council answered as Mr Bower does, there could be no major new housing initiatives, no answer to the desperate needs of people without decent housing.

If councillors did their homework and worked out the cost-benefits of such development in terms of improved health, better employment prospects, lower housing benefit costs, etc., they’d see the sense of shared approaches between authorities, not the daft attitude he displays.

Being positive now, I am going to suggest an idea for discussion, and would be very interested to hear what other readers think about issues such as balanced development and communities, encouragement of the building industry, comparative costs (e.g., against paying benefit for private rented housing, etc.).

Jan Cosgrove

Bognor Regis Labour Party member

Longford Road

Bognor Regis