Garnier Supports County Council On Eco-Town Decision
7 April 2009
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston MP Edward Garnier has announced that he unreservedly supports Leicestershire County Council's ruling Conservative Cabinet who today decided to end all co-operation and stop any further funding for the Co-Op "Pennbury" eco-town project.
A final round of local consultation was undertaken by the County Council in February 2009, revealing an overwhelming majority-over 98%- of local residents supported the County Council's case against the eco-town location.
It was this show of local opposition from residents potentially affected by the eco-town location - such as Oadby, Great Glen, Stoughton, Bushby and Houghton on the Hill - which convinced the Leader of Leicestershire County Council David Parsons to pull the plug on further co-operation and funding for the Pennbury project.
"There comes a time when someone has to stand up and say 'enough is enough'. Labour's plans for massive house building across the county have forced us to spend over £500,000 of taxpayers' money to find out if the proposed eco-town is feasible. After months of painstaking research, commissioning independent reports and seeking expert advice, it is abundantly clear Pennbury is unworkable in its current location."
David Parsons continues, "The message we are sending to Margaret Beckett, the Minister for Housing, is that we are stopping any further work or co-operation with them regarding Pennbury. I cannot justify throwing more taxpayers' money at a project that would destroy parts of Leicestershire with excessive development. As far as I am concerned, the Pennbury project has been given its last rites."
Edward Garnier added: "Everyone who knows anything about the Co-Op's plans and the site where they want to build this new town twice the size of Market Harborough also knows that not even a moron in a hurry would build it there. It's time the Government stopped this madness and pulled the plug on Pennbury.
"David Parsons and his Cabinet have done exactly the right thing and will be applauded by my constituents in Harborough and Oadby for what they have done today. Let's hope the Co-Op see sense and pack it in. They have tried to bully us and bamboozle us but the game is up. Why don't they just leave us alone and stop wasting our money?"
