Cheltenham MP Praises RSS Abolition by Coalition

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood welcomed the coalition’s commitment to scrapping Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), which would have imposed thousands of new homes on areas of green land around Cheltenham.

Speaking in a debate in Westminster Hall, Martin praised the work of organisations such as the Leckhampton Green Land Action Group (Leglag) and Save the Countryside. He singled out local campaigners and councillors like Kit Braunholtz, Alice Ross, Helen Wells, Gerry Potter, Cllr Klara Sudbury, Cllr Steve Jordan and Cllr John Webster, who campaigned tirelessly for the abolition of the South West RSS.

Martin said ‘It is fantastic news that RSSs are being abolished. I would like to congratulate the coalition ministers on taking this important step forward in giving power back to local communities.’

Martin nevertheless asked ministers to urgently consider some possible risks in the coalition strategy: ‘It is clear that ministers now want to hand power back to local communities but I am concerned that the Planning Inspectorate might undermine those good intentions when they come to rule on local appeals. I am also worried that a policy vacuum might emerge between the abolition of the RSS and the emergence of local strategies like our own Joint Core Strategy. ‘

Finally, Martin raised the impact of the RSS abolition on those on the housing waiting list: ‘If this does mean some constraint on market housing, which could in turn affect the affordable housing that has often piggybacked on market housing, then the coalition must address how we can provide more affordable housing, and in particular social housing for rent. This could be done by providing more flexibility for landlords like Cheltenham Borough Homes to buy and build more new council housing.’