Labours calls for 'long-term development strategy' for Bishop's Stortford
Every party should be claiming they want to build sustainable communities and reduce carbon footprints, but you have to look at their actions to judge whether it is a priority or just words.
Stortford lacks a long-term development strategy and councillors that would follow it.
Our roads system is particularly neglected by the disingenuous modal shift policy that East Herts district and Herts county councils use as an excuse not to spend money. Great opportunities to improve the town are being missed at the Goods Yard and an ill thought out Northgate End car park that could have given us an improved functioning roads and parking network.
Treating each large development in isolation invariably leads to the whole being less and less the sum of the parts.
Labour would negotiate far harder with developers for contributions to essential infrastructure and higher affordable homes percentages. The Tories roll over at every developer excuse as they are too desperate for developments to go ahead to get the extra council tax, but are not focused on integrating the development appropriately for the long-term benefit of the town. We would make sure developer contributions were spent on Stortford, not other parts of the district.
Labour would support the existing town centre, its workers and business with greater parking provision for customers and cheap all-day staff parking, using the money saved by cancelling the Old River Lane development.
Labour would represent local opinion where it has a clear preference, not just ignore it, even when locals are unanimously against something, as the Tory party does when it suits its interests. It is the community who should be making the big decisions, not just the Tory leaders.
For carbon footprint reduction policies, there is a glaring contrast between Labour and Tory. To reduce carbon footprints, the most important things we as individuals can contribute is to use low-carbon transport, either a plug-in electric vehicle or public transport. Then have a well-insulated home with an efficient heating system.
A Government’s main carbon reduction tasks are to encourage individuals to do the above and convert electricity generation to renewables or carbon capture.
For the Tories, as soon as any cost is involved, green policies are discarded. The most important thing you can do to slow climate change is vote in a party that believes in the imperative of de-carbonising. There is only one that is electable.