In early July Nick Clegg gave a major speech to the Local Government Association on giving power to people and communities. Local decision making is a core value for Liberal Democrats and something that differentiates us from the Conservatives and Labour.
On 25th June Spelthorne's Tory-controlled Planning Committee voted for the redevelopment of the Benwell day centre site as extra-care flats for older people. This development had been widely opposed by the local community with formal objections submitted by all the resident's groups.
Spelthorne Council's Local Development Framework (LDF) - the blueprint for the Borough for the next 20 years - was totally disregarded as the Conservative-dominated planning committee passed an application for 170 flats at Ashford Hospital on the West Wing site.
What Lib Dem councillors feared may happen, has. Spelthorne's complete mess up of their new master plan, the Local Development Framework (LDF) has opened the way for a huge land grab by greedy developers intent only on a quick profit. Green Belt sites all over Spelthorne are now under threat in a way they have never been before.
At the Annual General meeting of Spelthorne Council the ruling Conservatives announced that the Planning Committee was being expanded from 13 to 15 members. No reason was given for the change and there was no prior discussion with the Liberal Democrat opposition. The two additional seats will both be filled by Tory Councillors.
Despite assurances Spelthorne Council is continuing to rely on its reserves to prop up its weak financial position. In 2006 we were assured that there would be a balanced budget but in this year's annual information provided to residents, a total £1.047m will be taken from reserves.
