New Homes Everywhere

Government targets for new homes are being pushed through the Regional Assembly and forcing Bournemouth to ignore what local people want for their communities. The amount of new development currently being allowed by Bournemouth Council is even higher than the targets and is adding to urban cramming at the rate of over 1,000 new homes a year. With so little investment in Bournemouth's infrastructure and no extra funds available anyway, many residents are very worried about the ever increasing pressure on our roads, transport, sewerage and utility systems.

The pace of development is very strong in Bournemouth as developers see the town as an easy touch for pushing for ever higher densities of housing on every available plot of land. The town is being targeted by developers who realise their plans are unlikely to be turned down by the Council for fear of the cost of losing at appeal. Conservatives are calling on the Council to create a reserve fund from part of the windfall gain from the sale of Yellow Buses to help call a halt to the changing character of Bournemouth. Such a fund would effectively insure the Council against the cost of planning decisions being overturned at appeal and strengthen the resolve of the Council in being far more critical of the inappropriate overdevelopment of much of our town.

Pensioners Penalised

The Government have given Bournemouth Council new funding to use for the extension of the concessionary travel scheme to everybody aged 60 and over provided it is used after 9.30am.

However the existing scheme introduced by Conservative Councillors allows the over 80's to travel at any time and this important concession is being removed by the Council. It's being kept for the blind and is being extended to those who are partially sighted.

This anomaly has been pointed out to Town Hall bosses as being unfair, unnecessary and mean-spirited, but they will not reverse it.

The Conservatives are acutely aware of the importance of this early morning freedom for elderly residents, many of whom rely entirely on public transport to get around Bournemouth and Poole. Conservative Cllr John Beesley attended meetings to put the case for pensioners and brought the matter to the attention of the Cabinet and Council but the Lib Dems were adamant that this valued concession would be taken away. Cllr Beesley said, 'It is very disappointing that the Lib Dem Council will not listen and change their minds. This existing concession was provided for in the Council's budget and they will give only the flimsiest excuses as to why they will not keep it, despite the budget being underspent. It only affects the over 80's and the cost is tiny - it really is mean-spirited to take early morning travel away from these elderly pensioners.'