MP’s demeaning behaviour

I WISH to add to what must be widespread condemnation of the crass actions of my MP, Seema Kennedy, recently.

With the nation and our political parties split over Brexit, Seema Kennedy bets with a colleague that she can persuade the PM to use the Meerkat advert sloganm “Simples” in an address to Parliament.

This is demeaning to both herself and the PM – behaviour more suited to a prep school dorm.

We don’t see much of Ms Kennedy in Tarleton or Hesketh Bank but we’ll be thinking of her as she enjoys her gambling winnings of £58 per head afternoon tea at the Ritz. Well done, Seema, good effort! Steve Field

Tarleton

ACTION ON HOUSING

THE Government has released its housing delivery test results, showing that a third of local authorities across the country are failing to address the housing crisis.

The results show that 108 local authorities delivered less than 95% of the homes their community needs, with 21 being required to publish action plans explaining why they missed their targets and what action they will take.

The remaining 87, who delivered between 35% and 85% of their housing need, will be required to add 20% more homes to their five year land supply.

No area delivered less than 25% of their housing need, which means that no council will face the penalty of ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development.’

However, the presumption penalty threshold will increase to 45% in November 2019 and to 65% in November 2020. If the Government had not extended the deadline to meet the 65% threshold until 2020, 32 local authorities would have been subject to the penalty.

In the North West, a third of local authorities failed to deliver enough homes, with 13 being subject to a 20% buffer, requiring them to add 20% more homes to their five-year land supply.

The National Federation Of Builders (NFB) understands the challenges local authorities face in meeting housing demand, but remains concerned that so many councils are missing their targets leaving us a shortfall of more than 220,000 new homes.

As local developers, NFB members would have liked to see local authorities in control of their own housing destiny.

However, given their frequent failures to meet housing demand and accurately assess housing need, we welcome the blunt instrument that the Government is wielding.

Since the carrot of meeting housing need themselves is not enticing enough for local planners, the Government’s stick of penalties and buffers is clearly required.

Many more people are moving to the North West and therefore there’s an increased pressure to meet housing need outside our major cities. If councils continue to underestimate need and not focus on delivering sites of all types, very many will face Government intervention. Richard Beresford Chief executive, NFB