Tories put loyalty to government above local communities

Following a motion at yesterdays Full Council meeting of the County Council on the Government reforms to the planning systems, Leicestershire Lib Dem have accused the Tories of putting loyalty to government policy above local communities concerns.

The prosper of the motion David Bill CC said: "I was disappointed to see the Tories failed to grasp our fundamental point: that the countryside and local areas needs to be protected and the current proposals don't do provide the reassurance we feel is needed for our communities."

Group Leader Simon Galton added: "The national press is littered with concerns about the impact of these planning reforms on a whole host of issues from Greenfield land to house prices; the fact that Tories in Leicestershire are defending the government contrary to all of the evidence is starting to wear thin.

"I am however not surprised that they defend bad policy even when it could threaten Leicestershire. Even though we are part of a national coalition, as a Lib Dem I have been putting pressure on our ministers and MPs about these proposals. Being in Coalition doesn't mean we can't criticise our own ministers when they get it wrong"

"It is clear that there is a shift, the Planning minister himself is starting to realise that parts of the proposed reforms need a rethink, it seems just about everyone thinks that the current draft of the NPPF is unsound except for developers and Leicestershire Tories."