Top Tory pledges: Council will have freedom to run Bay when we get in
TORBAY Council would have more freedom to make its own decisions under a Conservative government, the shadow local government minister has claimed.
Bob Neil MP spoke about giving more autonomy to local authorities when he visited Torbay Conservatives at the Town Hall in Torquay.
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FACT-FINDING VISIT: Shadow minister Bob Neil, centre, meets Torbay Conservatives at Torquay Town Hall Karen Stone TQ100310_KS01_02
"We are going to give local authorities the freedom to run towns in the way they see as important," he said.
"We will do this in the first few weeks of coming into government."
Deputy mayor Chris Lewis said Mr Neil's visit was a fact-finding mission to inform him about the issues facing the area.
"We want to get people like Bob down here to see the issues in Torbay in case the Conservatives win the next election," he explained.
"We want the people in Westminster to know what our concerns are."
Speaking ahead of a behind-closed-doors meeting with Bay Tories, Mr Neil spoke about how a Conservative government would help residents.
"We will be scrapping the South West regional spatial strategy," he revealed.
The initiative, which could force Torbay to build 15,000 new homes, has been unpopular and attracted objections from Torbay and also the South West Regional Assembly.
Mr Neil said the figure of 15,000 new homes that Torbay has had 'imposed' on it will be scrapped.
"We are going to give Torbay back the power to reflect its own needs," he said.
He also said a Conservative government would push for a decision to be made on the Kingskerswell bypass.
He said: "I can take back first-hand evidence and see if we can come into government and get a quick decision on this."
Mr Neil talked about other issues facing Torbay including the need to support the business community, which he said would be the driving force behind beating the recession and creating local jobs.
5 Comments
by Herbert Holzinger, Torquay
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 10:11AM
“And of course, as usual, Nicole Amil, the 'show councillor' has pushed herself to the front, side by side with the main protagonists. Alas, she is no longer the uncrowned queen of her cosy little empire i.e. the leader of the court of the ousted ceremonial mayor. Therefore, she is consoling herself by trying even more to appear in the local press as previously, at the same time pulling off a fashion show.”
by Stan, Torbay
Monday, March 15 2010, 3:54PM
“Typical empty political promises.
We'll give the local councils more powers but won't give them the resources required to implement them.
We'll only push for a decision, which could very well be a "no", on the bypass.
We all know that they are only interested in our concerns to get them into Westminster. Once there they will not care less.
I'm fed up with the election already!”
by Auntie Mabel's Handbag, Torquay
Monday, March 15 2010, 1:23PM
“But didn't Shadow Home Secretary Grayling visit the Bay recently to tell us that the Conservatives COULDN'T agree that the by-pass was a priority?
AS this meeting was 'behind closed doors' people can claim whatever they want was said.
More tea, Vicar?”
by Pottypaula, Torbay
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:02AM
“Its not about giving Nick Bye more power, its about picking Torbay out of the gutter and making it a decent place to live. Give Nick Bye a break, the people who live here made the place a slum, not him.”
by Nick W, Torquay
Monday, March 15 2010, 10:41AM
“Blimey, the last thing we need is to give Nick Bye more power.”