Local Member of Parliament Bim Afolami MP has written to St. Albans City & District Council Leader Chris White for clarity on the Council’s position on Investment Zones, after raising concerns that they are “saying one thing and doing another”.
Mr Afolami wrote to Cllr White after having received a copy of a Liberal Democrat leaflet promoted by their District Councillors in Sandridge & Wheathampstead which raised concerns about the Government’s plans for Investment Zones. In the leaflet, the Councillors describe the plans as a “threat to our green belt” and a way to “force councils to accept watered down environmental protections”.
However, Mr Afolami reveals in his letter that the District Council approached him in October, asking him to support their bid for an Investment Zone in the District, covering the proposed Hemel Garden Communities scheme. He has asked for clarity over the Council’s current position on the Hemel Investment Zone proposal.
Bim Afolami MP said,
“It is important that we are honest with residents about important decisions facing our District. In October, I was happy to offer my support to the District Council’s bid for an Investment Zone covering the Hemel Garden Communities development. In their correspondence with me at the time, the Council were keen to highlight the advantages that the scheme could bring to accelerate planning, unlock funding and bring forward new jobs and homes for local people.
“I have heard nothing from the Council’s leadership since to say that they have changed their minds about the advantages this would bring to our area. It is therefore extremely confusing to see Councillors from the governing Liberal Democrat Administration criticising the Government’s plans for Investment Zones to residents in these terms and condemning the impact that they could have on our area.
“I hope that the Council’s Leadership will now offer public clarity on their position on Investment Zones – and address my concern that they are saying one thing to residents while doing another.”
NOTE TO EDITORS
The text of Mr Afolami’s letter can be found below:
Dear Chris,
Clarification on Council’s Position on Investment Zones
I trust this letter is well received.
I have recently received a copy of a communication sent to residents in Sandridge and Wheathampstead, in which your local Liberal Democrat District Councillors describe the Government’s plans for Investment Zones as a “threat to our green belt” and a way to “force councils to accept watered down environmental protections”.
This has left me in need of some clarification on the District Council’s position on Investment Zones.
In October, the Liberal Democrat-run District Council wrote to me to ask for my support for their bid for an Investment Zone within the District’s area, specifically covering the Hemel Garden Communities scheme.
The District Council’s position to me was that:
“For St Albans District Council, allocation of Hemel Garden Communities as an Investment Zone - potentially with Locally Led Development Corporation powers - would provide the opportunity to accelerate planning and facilitate much needed infrastructure funding and other tax incentives, alongside the existing Herts Innovation Quarter Enterprise Zone, that would enable jobs and homes to be brought forward at pace. The majority of the land to the east of Hemel…is in our district.”
As I am sure you would agree, residents want us to be working to improve our area – not saying one thing and doing another. I would therefore be grateful if you could clarify the current position of the Council on the Hemel Garden Communities Investment Zone proposal.
Given the public interest on this subject, I am placing this letter into the public domain.
Kind regards,
Bim
