City councillors call for Investment Zone boycott

Councillors in Gloucester are calling on the city council to boycott joining a planned Investment Zone for Gloucestershire.

Liberal Democrat councillors have tabled a motion to the next meeting of the city council on 17th November urging city council bosses to have nothing to do with the county council plan.

The Conservatives at Shire Hall want to set up two Investment Zones in the county to rip up planning laws in Gloucestershire and build 20,000 houses in the county.

It means planning decisions will be handed to Westminster bureaucrats and environmental regulations relaxed.

There would also be cuts in business rates and stamp duty for developers.

One of the Investment Zones will be on the outskirts of Gloucester and include the Golden Valley area, Gloucestershire Airport, Elms Park and Tewkesbury.

Around 20,000 houses would be built as well as creating low tax havens for business and commercial units, which would create unfair competition to long established businesses in the county that are outside the investment zones.

Lib Dem councillors Jeremy Hilton and Declan Wilson have tabled a motion calling on the city council to follow Cheltenham and Stroud councils and have nothing to do with the proposal.

Councillor Hilton, leader of Gloucester Liberal Democrats, said: "We have real concerns about the ripping up of planning rules that will make it easier to ignore local people's concerns.

"The bonfire of red tape will also see environmental protections reduced and targets for delivering affordable homes relaxed.

"Building even more homes on land between Gloucester and Cheltenham without the supporting infrastructure will not benefit either area. Creating low tax zones will create unfair competition to long established Gloucestershire businesses.

"It's a war on biodiversity, it's a war on our environment and it's a war on local democracy."

Councillor Wilson, deputy group leader, added: "The Investment Zone plan is seen by the Conservative Government as a way of trying to save the country from the financial crisis it has created.

"Ditching long-established planning laws and giving tax breaks to wealthy developers is not the way to deliver economic stability.

"The way to deliver economic growth is by boosting trade with our nearest neighbours and that means re-joining the European Single Market and Customs Union."

- The motion on investment zones says:

"This council notes that Gloucestershire County Council has put in an expression of interest in creating so called investment zones, a scheme proposed by the short-lived Liz Truss government.

"This council notes that one of the areas proposed for central Gloucestershire is located around Gloucestershire Airport.

"This council agrees that the best way to boost investment in Gloucestershire would be for the UK to re-join the European Single Market and Customs Union.

"This council also notes both Stroud District Council and Cheltenham Borough Council have confirmed that they oppose the establishment of these so called investment zones, which will give businesses operating within them an unfair tax advantage over other well established businesses operating elsewhere in Gloucestershire.

"This council also notes that the creation of these investment zones could undermine the planning polices established in the Joint Core Strategy, which is also currently under review. It would mean local residents getting less say on planning matters.

"This council agrees not to support the county council's bid, whilst the full implications of creating these mini tax havens with watered down planning controls in Gloucestershire, are still unknown."

Proposed by Jeremy Hilton

Seconded by Declan Wilson