Planning

The Local Plan underpins local planning policy including how many houses can be built and where they can be built. The new Local Plan for Tendring is currently being prepared and is due to be agreed in 2016.

I have consistently opposed the inclusion of 12120 houses in the new Local Plan as I believe that this is excessive and unnecessary. The fact that the population of Tendring fell between 2001 and 2011, and that there was a large rise in vacant properties while we were building far fewer houses per annum than is proposed in the new Local Plan supports my view that 12120 is too high.

Following my opposition to the proposed removal of Strategic Green Gaps and the Coastal Protection Belt from the Local Plan, these are both currently still in the proposed Local Plan. Strategic Green Gaps are essential as they protect are rural villages from merging or from being subsumed by neighbouring towns. The Coastal Protection belt protects designated areas of our coast from development.

I support a sustainable increase in housing and am particularly keen to support sustainable plans to provide more employment to the District.

When planning applications are put forward within our ward, I have and will support them where they are reasonable, but have and will oppose them where they are unsustainable.

Where there are sound planning reasons for a planning application to be refused or for conditions to be applied and where local residents are concerned about the application, I have and will continue to refer these applications to the Planning Committee.