Press Releases for 2004

HOUSING FOR LOCAL PEOPLE IN SHEPWAY - GREENS SUBMISSION ON HOUSING IN THE SHEPWAY LOCAL PLAN

16th December 2004

Shepway Green Party has made a major submission on housing to the Shepway District Local Plan. The Greens are proposing a variety of measures to address the gap between local housing demand and what Shepway District Council believes it can deliver. Councillor Wendy Harris comments: There can be no excuse for the Government regarding Shepway as "Howard-on-Sea" and neglecting local needs accordingly. We are short of about 900 homes (houses/apartments) in the social housing sector each year in Shepway. House prices are well above the mortgages many local people can actually afford. The Green Party believes some changes to Shepway District Council's housing policies are needed:"

* A 50% minimum for social housing in all new developments containing more than 15 homes, not the 35% the Council proposes.
* Transfer of council resources to identifying empty properties and getting them into use for housing and to the creation of an Energy Conservation Officer post: to detect fuel poverty and to promote energy conservation and renewable energy installations such as solar water heating.
* A general block on greenfield housing construction until all of the 700 persistently empty properties in Shepway are brought into use.
* Under-used surface car parks and derelict industrial sites to be considered for housing proposals to meet local demand.
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Further Information: Councillor Wendy Harris, on 01303 266172. Address as above. Councillor Harris is Green Party councillor for Hythe Central. Full submission on request to stevedawe@gn.apc.org The submission will appear shortly on www.kentgreenparty.org.uk under Reports/Factsheets.

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