BASE HEADER

I understand the Council's obligation to put in place a plan to manage physical growth, in support of a nationwide desire for economic growth.

I do not accept that physical expansion of the town to facilitate economic growth will ever be justifiable in one of the UK's wealthiest towns, where economic growth itself is hardly needed - compared for example to Coventry. With economic growth itself hard to justify, there can never be a justification for expanding the town at the expense of the Green Belt.

I further object to the PO1 choice of 555 homes/year from options stated by the Council as 250/500/800 because I do not accept that the Council must plan to build any new homes. I am not satisfied that there is valid evidence of demand for new homes other than from Developers with established land Options. I do not accept a consultation process which asks for comments on a choice of house numbers without the choice including zero.

I do not consider appropriate or sound the Council's policy of creating affordable housing through land development deals: creating private housing at the expense of the Green Belt and the consequent roads, schools and employment zones is an indictment of the Councils inability to fund affordable housing directly.