There apologies for absence from Gail Jones, work also Gwynfor.
Re Peulwys fields: I believe that the dynamics have changed since we formed the Committee to protect these from development. It now seems to me to be a concession that the Council will willingly cede, especially with the powerful evidence we now have against it. It is more of a diversion to distract us from the real issue which is the use of good agricultural land before making full use of brown sites and long term empty buildings and the provision of truly affordable homes to rent or buy for local young people of limited means. Since the sale of Council houses in the 80s, the Housing Associations have not supplied sufficient affordable rented property. Since the Committee was formed land has been sold at Llety Dddu with a clause in the contract entitling the seller to 30% of any future value the land might gain. More land has also been sold by our golf course at Peulwys Lane.
There is much subordinate legislation and official guidance to say that agricultural land and green belt should be the last resort before brown site, especially local authority owned sites. (Housing White Paper 2017 ‘Fixing our Broken Housing Market Planning for the Right Homes in the Right Places’) is but one example.
Article 11 International Covenant on Economic and Social & Cultural Rights states that housing is a basic right for all. And this in one of the world’s richest countries where there has been a 74% rise in homeless people since 2010 coupled with ever increasing house and rent values out of the reach of most ordinary lower wage people. Which now comprises 17.9% of the population.
Is our local authority aiding and abetting developers in their commercial enterprises with their ‘active raising of land values to encourage land sales’ and guidance in the way our Councillors (paid by us to represent us) are expected to vote in planning issues?