We support new homes, investment and sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge. What we do not support is the transfer of significant powers from democratically elected councils to an unelected Development Corporation.
Yesterday's announcement raises serious questions about accountability, transparency and local democratic control. Residents deserve to know who will be making decisions about development in their communities, how those decisions will be scrutinised, and what powers will be removed from local councils.
The Government cannot claim to be simplifying local government through reorganisation while simultaneously creating a powerful new layer of unelected governance.
Growth must happen with communities, not be imposed upon them.
Cllr Heather Williams said “This government do not care at all about the residents of South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge. They are only interested in draining every penny they can out of us to bail out their financial incompetence. And be of no illusion once they’ve bled us dry, they will be on to their next victim.
Unchallenged, this government will ride roughshod over every area of our district. We will be pushing the council to not simply sit back and wait to be told what the government wants - they’ve tried waiting to see what the government thinks, and it hasn’t worked. They are not being listened to so it’s time to stop pussy footing around. It is time to prepare for battle and make it clear to government we will fight them at every turn unless they start putting our residents first not the treasury’s purse strings.
This is why we are calling on the administration at South Cambs to start preparing for a Judicial Review. No urban development corporation has a place in our villages. The government has clearly demonstrated they are clueless when it comes to the countryside, but we are not - it’s time to stand up for the wonderful area we are elected to protect.”
Cllr Dr Richard Williams said: “There is no evidence to justify the imposition of a Development Corporation on our area. No measure should be off the table to resist this indefensible power grab by central government”.
