Letter to the Echo


An in my my view which i have submitted to the Southampton Echo


Much has been written about housing in the city and the overdevelopment of Southampton with the lack of suitable family housing in the city. Last month the Conservative Group put an amendment in full council which called for the protection of family housing.

At Full Council the Labour and Liberals did not support this instead called for a debate about family housing (which is commendable but for the last 6 years flat development has been running at over 80% in Southampton, action would be better). In the January planning meeting last week 251 flats were put through with 16 houses. This is not sustainable development. What we are seeing is the city changed from houses to flats.

Southampton has much to offer and has many different communities but with no current plan and no policy about what sort of developments are to take place in the city. Southampton has become a patchwork of developments. Family housing needs protecting in the city, this does not stop all development but it has to fit in with a policy that is city wide.

Southampton council has failed its residents as the council has no coherent planning policy. Developers are able to go with their ideas which are quite right if the council is not willing to put a policy in place.

We have no environmental policy in place which would cut CO2 emissions from new developments, and no policy to increase the recycling of heat, water and composting. Southampton sadly lags behind many other local authorities in this area.

The impact of the motor car on new developments is seen across the city. We have guidelines from the government that say that developers have to provide x number of spaces per development when the reality is people have cars and this places a burden on neighbourhoods. A parking enquiry was held over two years ago by the transport panel to look into this matter and nothing has come from it. This council in its current format is creating problems. A realistic approach to developments with car parking provision is required.