THE letter from Cllrs Knight and Heath (Citizen 25/7) is misleading both on the provisions of the Draft Local Plan on open space and on the role of the Morecambe Bay Independents in its consideration.

The innocent reader might imagine they had tried to change the Draft District Local Plan before it went out to consultation, particularly with regard to Altham Road and Poulton Square, but that their titanic struggles had met with Labour inflexibility.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Draft Plan has been considered by full council, the planning policy committee, the housing policy committee and the economic development policy committee.

At no stage did the MBI attempt to move an amendment on these issues. Having been so inactive in council in pursuing their objectives, how can the MBI justify their vote not to send the Draft Plan out for public consultation?

Nor is it true that changes to the plan have been rejected out of hand by the Labour Group.

A number were made both informally and in committee in preparing the draft and reflect the input of councillors and professional officers - it's a pity that the MBI did not participate more fully in this process. I expect many more will be made as a result of public consultation.

Cllrs Knight and Heath are equally misleading on the provisions of the Draft Plan about urban open spaces. Not only will it require developers to provide open space in new developments, it will also give protection to existing urban open spaces.

The city council is planning a much larger public consultation exercise than for previous plans. We cannot guarantee to satisfy everybody but we do want to hear as many opinions as possible.

Cllr Eileen Blamire,

Chairman

planning policy

committee.

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