The Labour Cabinet have finally bowed to pressure from the public and many Labour councillors - and decided to scrap their universally unpopular preferred options for a new Local Plan.

At an 11 minute Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Labour ignored the recommendations of the Borough Planner and agreed the following motion: 'That the Local Delivery Scheme be amended to allow time for the reconsideration of the proposed Local Plan timescale and for the preparation of and consultation on a new Local Plan Preferred Options.'
Cllr John Hodson, Cabinet Member for Planning, was absent from the meeting and it was later learnt that he had either resigned - or was sacked - following bitter arguments within the ruling Labour group over their new local plan*.

Labour are hopelessly divided on their more controversial policies and as usual have wasted a huge amount of public money; in addition to the £300k wasted on their scrapped Preferred Options, they have fallen out over the Council lending £20m of tax payer's money to a new development company they have set up for the building of new council housing across the Borough.

Cllr. David Westley, Conservative Leader, said; "It was back in March 2018 that West Lancs Conservatives first alerted the Public to Labour's crazy ideas for a new 30 year Local Plan with 16,000 houses and the loss of 1,600 acres of prime agricultural land in our precious greenbelt.

"We knew the hugely negative impact that this would have right across the Borough in terms of pressure on public services and increased traffic on our already inadequate road network.

"Labour's plans were ill-conceived, unjustified and bitterly opposed. The public outrage was tangible and demonstrated by the overwhelmingly negative responses submitted as part of the recent public consultation.

"While the Conservatives welcome Labour's apparent change of heart, we remain concerned that their decision does not go far enough and will continue the present uncertainty that is blighting properties and having a hugely negative impact on our local communities.

"As the official opposition, we have exercised our right to refer the decision to the Council's Executive Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting on the 26th March.

"At this Public Meeting, we will argue that it is time for Labour to abandon their ridiculous policy for a 30 year New Local Plan and give a commitment to continue with the existing Local Plan 2012/27 subject to the planned 5 yearly review.”

*QLocal's busy Ormskirk reporter Roger Blaxall will be interviewing John tomorrow.

It must be election time again!



Out they come the politicians of both main parties like flies around a dog! Just take a look around you, failing services, raising tax’s, what a shower of clowns! Labour telling us anything they think we want to hear! Conservative asleep on the side line!

We desperately need to change the culture of Party Politics, and put some balance in to WLBC. Time to put residents needs before political ideology!

Vote for independent councillors who put residents before politics!

I’d vote independents if the only choice wasn’t ex Tory’s and idiots

Please qualify the remark "Idiots" to whom are you referring to ?

The only Independent group is Our West Lancashire , and the only ex Tory is
Cllr Adrian Owens, Leader of said group ....no other member of OWL has been a member of any other political party..... So therefore ex Tories as in the plural is incorrect.

Making statements needs to be thought out before going to print.

Ps: The May elections will soon see how electorate feel about the Labour run
Council

Originally Posted by Pete Lloyd

Please qualify the remark "Idiots" to whom are you referring to ?

The only Independent group is Our West Lancashire , and the only ex Tory is
Cllr Adrian Owens, Leader of said group ....no other member of OWL has been a member of any other political party..... So therefore ex Tories as in the plural is incorrect.

Making statements needs to be thought out before going to print.

Ps: The May elections will soon see how electorate feel about the Labour run
Council

Going to print ? Think you mean posted as it’s not physical newspaper
and as I said I would never vote for idiots that shout people down publicly and on social media platforms
as for the owl group I find most of the time they don’t like opinions as when some people have tried to have a debate they’ve been banned from commenting or shouted down
and that is the simple reason I’d never vote for them

Your remark on ex "Tories" as in more than one has not been addressed.

OWL is an Independent group and a voice for the people.

You may not wish to support it but there many out there in West Lancs who
certainly do and the May elections will be very interesting in that respect.