Questions Being Asked Of MP Over Government Plans For ‘Ecotown’ on Local Greenbelt

Campaigners against Government housing targets have stepped up their demands for answers from local Labour MP Mike O'Brien over Government plans for a 5,000 house ecotown on greenbelt land north of Coventry and next to Bedworth.

Mr O'Brien has been vocal in recent months in blaming Conservative councils for the possibility of a huge increase in house building, which his opponents claim actually come from Government targets under the controversial West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

At a recent meeting of greenbelt campaigners for the area around Keresley and Ash Green, Mr O'Brien was quoted as saying: "Bogus claims that these are Government proposals won't wash."

Now local campaigners have demanded Mr O'Brien come clean about Government plans to build 5,000 houses in exactly that area under the guise of a so-called 'ecotown'. Dan Byles, the Conservative challenger in North Warwickshire & Bedworth, wants to know what Mr O'Brien knew about these plans and when.

Dan said:

"Last month, our MP stood up at a meeting of local greenbelt campaigners and said that the Government had nothing to do with the threat to our greenbelt land around Keresley, Corley and Ash Green.

"Within weeks, the Labour Housing Minister John Healey announced his intention to build a 5,000 house ecotown on that very greenbelt. He even offered Coventry City Council around £1million if they agreed to the plans - which they have refused. Not one of the local Conservative Councils wants anything to do with this ecotown.

"His announcement leaves Mr O'Brien with some serious questions to answer. And these are important questions, because they go to the heart of trust in politicians.

"Did Mr O'Brien know, when he stood and postured in front of local campaigners, that his fellow Minister was planning these 5,000 houses on the very greenbelt land Mr O'Brien was pretending to wish to protect? And does he support hi fellow Minister's plans?

"It is hard to believe that Mr O'Brien was unaware of such a major proposal affecting his constituency - in which case he should apologise for misleading local campaigners.

"And if he didn't know...well, it begs the question: what is the point of having a Labour minister as our local MP if his cabinet colleagues don't even bother to speak with him about Government plans to concrete over North Warwickshire.

"I have personally spoken about this with the Conservative Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, and our position is crystal clear. We do not support ecotowns, and if we are elected to Government we will tear up the Regional Spatial Strategies and the central housing targets and allow local  councils to decide how many houses to build and where. It's called trusting local democracy."