Duncan Hames for Chippenham

Duncan Hames, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Chippenham has expressed his concern over plans to build 3,500 houses on the flood plain of the river Avon.

The land which lies between the river Avon and Stanley Lane in Chippenham is being considered for development opportunities which could see an increase in housing in the town of 20%.

Duncan Hames commented:

“I am opposed to any development on the flood plain in Chippenham. You only need look at recent flooding in the region to see the problems this stores up for the future.

“We will work with local residents to fight these proposals which would just be the start of many more unwelcome and environmentally damaging extensions to the town.”

June Wood, local councillor, added:

“This has been a long running battle for local people. Similar proposals were presented to the County Council more than 10 years ago, we fought then to stop it and we will fight again.”

Duncan Hames, Prospective Lib Dem MP for the new Chippenham Constituency, has called for action to protect Wiltshire taxpayers after Wiltshire County Council and North Wiltshire District Council became the latest victims of the economic crisis.

The councils had £12m in parts of an Icelandic Bank, which went into administration yesterday (Wednesday). Duncan Hames, a former Audit Committee Chairman for West Wiltshire District Council, has called on the government to do all that it can to ensure the councils do not lose this essential taxpayers’ money.

Duncan Hames commented:

“If Wiltshire County Council can’t get our money back, it would cost Wiltshire Council Taxpayers an average £45 per household to make good the reserves. If North Wiltshire residents were left to make up the loss of their district council’s funds too, their bill would be more like £150.

“That would be devastating for local families and pensioners already facing higher fuel bills and an uncertain economy.

“These councils also have questions to answer: I think people will want to know why this money was not moved after another Icelandic bank collapsed days earlier.”

Local Liberal Democrats have hit out after the latest scandal involving the collection of waste in West Wiltshire.

Residents have complained after it emerged that the waste contractor, Focsa, had been instructed by the council not to collect wheelie bins if the wheels were on gravel.

Instead residents have been told that they must drag their bins onto the pavement in case the bins got stones stuck in their wheels and fell onto the refuse collectors.

This new policy comes just months after the Conservative-run council made the headlines after refusing to empty bins which could not be dragged with two fingers or which were over a footstep away from the kerb.

Rosemary Brown, Shadow Environment portfolio holder on the council said:

“This goes to show how ludicrous the council is being when dealing with basic needs for its residents. These policies will particularly hit the elderly, infirm and disabled who may not be able to drag their bins within the millimetre that the council demands. It is unfair and they should not be expected to do so.

“Local residents pay their council tax to get a number of services, including waste collection, and the Conservatives simply are not taking into account what is best for them.”

Duncan Hames, prospective Lib Dem MP for Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham, added:

“This isn’t an isolated case, this Conservative council has been issuing us with new rules over and over again and it is hard for people to keep up.

“When local people choose the team to run the new Wiltshire Council they will want one that instead puts the needs of residents before their paid contractors.”