MP calls councillor’s LDP vote “true devolution”

Wrexham’s MP Sarah Atherton has praised councillors who refused to adopt the Local Development Plan last night.

As we reported last night councillors voted by an increased majority to not adopt the LDP.

Today Sarah Atherton has welcomed the move, and echoed Cllr Hugh Jones’ comments that noted the Welsh Government’s Future Wales 2040 Plan.

The 2040 plan states for North Wales:

“Under the Welsh Government central estimates 16,200
additional homes are needed in the region until 2039 and over
the initial five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) 53% of the additional
homes needed should be affordable homes. These estimates
provide part of the evidence and context on which housing
requirements for Strategic Development Plans can be based
and should be considered at the regional scale”

As we reported in the debate last night Cllr Jones pointed to those figures and contrasted them to just 717 ‘affordable’ homes in the LDP and the several thousand houses due for Wrexham.

Today Wrexham’s MP said, “While democracy was placed under considerable and unacceptable pressure in the Wrexham Council Chamber, the voice of the majority in Wrexham held out. The Welsh Government’s Future Wales 2040 Plan imposes around 7,000 new homes in Wrexham on green belt land with no road upgrades to support such mass development.

“This Local Development Plan was not designed with Wrexham’s best interests in mind.

“What we saw at Wrexham Council was true devolution, with locally elected representatives making decisions for local people. Whilst the potential for judicial review looms, today democracy prevailed.”