Independent councillor joins Lib Dems ahead of council elections
News from Colchester:
A founding member of an independent group has joined the Liberal Democrats in a bid become a borough councillor and cut the scale of a proposed new town.
Andrea Luxford-Vaughan, a founding member of the Wivenhoe Independents, has joined the party with immediate effect.
A member of Wivenhoe Town Council for ten years, Mrs Luxford-Vaughan has led campaigns on subjects such as home-to-school transport, improved train access and curbing excessive housing development.
The married mum-of-two – who will join forces with fellow Lib Dem Mark Cory, a member of Colchester Council’s ruling cabinet – said: “Winning the election in May requires the support of an experienced team.
“Having worked very closely with Mark over the last few years, it became clear that my views on local issues would be welcomed by the Liberal Democrats.
“Together, we will win the Wivenhoe seat by focusing on the specific needs of our local residents and working tirelessly to help shape Colchester Council policy for the good of our town.” [Braintree & Witham Times]
She wants to cut the scale of a proposed new town? curb “excessive housing development”?
The country desperately needs many more homes. Do we really want this type of Nimbyism in the LibDems?
its generally rash to comment on local planning issues without knowing the local background
It’s near Colchester. The “local background” is a massive shortage of housing in the East of England.
Seriously, housing benefits, “Help to Buy”, “Right to Buy” etc all go some way to briefly make house-buying more possible, but only in the short term and mainly just feed greedy housing developers who sit on speculative land. The government and all local councils just need to BUILD MORE HOMES! We need a couple of new cities in the green belt and the North. People’s need to buy a home trumps a few selfish middle class people’s desire to keep the poor people renting rubbish flats for ever.
“Tell me, Ms Luxford-Vaughan: how would you ensure the Lib Dems deliver on their pledge to build 300,000 new homes a year?”
How about spreading some of the wealth away from the already overheated South East?
The point she’s been making is not against the new development as such, but that Wivenhoe, a very distinct community and small town, should be separated from Colchester by a green corridor. I know both Colchester and Wivenhoe quite well and while I haven’t studied the “garden city” proposal, I agree Wivenhoe should not become part of a Colchester conurbation.
By the way, she won a Labour seat by 399 votes. I believe the Labour candidate took a similar line on the proposal.