Rethink urged over housing expansion for Northampton
The Government has been urged to "totally rethink" the housing expansion plans for Northamptonshire in the light of the international credit crunch.
During a debate in the House of Commons, the Conservative MP for Northampton South, Brian Binley, warned communities minister Iain Wright plans for the number of houses which should be built in the county had now "gone to the wall".
Claiming land prices in the county had fallen from 1.4m an acre 12 months ago to 600,000 now, he said: "Much of the original thinking, which was not very deep at the time, has gone out of the window because of present circumstances.
"Those circumstances will have a sizeable impact for the next 20 years. I plead with the Minister to review that particular project now, as it impacts on Northamptonshire."
During the debate, he also claimed Northampton's current railway network was not in a fit state to cope with any extra people living in the town.
He said: "I'm told more than 100 trains have been cancelled since the new timetable came in at the beginning of December; that there are not enough drivers to man the trains and the new link from the north-west is not performing as it should do.
"All of that is impacting dramatically on the present population getting to their jobs in London."
But communities minister, Iain Wright, argued people had to realise population figures were rising and more houses were needed.
He said: "I do live in the real world and recognise the circumstances in the housing market at present are obviously very difficult, but there's no evidence to suggest those long-term demographic changes are altering at all.
"Thankfully, we're all living longer, so we have an ageing population. Given social changes, such as more single people living alone, those trends will continue.
"I suggest that failure to act and plan for more housing now would simply store up problems for the future and that would be irresponsible."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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