Stephen Williams MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Communities and Local Government, has praised the delivery of housing in Bath and North East Somerset.
On a Ministerial visit to Bath this week, Mr Williams toured the Bath Western Riverside development, meeting representatives of Crest Nicolson, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Council.
Bath Western Riverside is one of the largest housing developments in the South West, and has already delivered over 300 housing units, 49% of which have been affordable.
The Lib Dem-run Council has pursued an ‘affordable first’ policy, ensuring that those units were built early on in the development of BWR.
This has been achieved through partnership working – a key feature of this Council administration – with Crest Nicolson and the HCA. Thanks to this approach, the Council has beaten its housing targets for the first time ever.
Stephen Williams MP said: “I’m incredibly impressed with the way that the Council has got on and delivered vital housing in Bath.
“The Council has now exceeded its affordable housing targets for every year of this Lib Dem administration. That is worthy of praise, especially in a city like Bath, where it can be difficult to make things happen.
“It shows that the Lib Dems have a real commitment to moving Bath forward, while making this city more affordable.”
Ben Stevens (Lib Dem, Widcombe), Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “The Council, under the Lib Dems, is delivering on the big issues responsibly and fairly.
“For the first time, we have a strategy for transport, a strategy to deliver 9,000 jobs, and a strategy to deliver the homes that we need. We’re building a great future for Bath.”
Steve Bradley, prospective MP for Bath, commented: “We all know that, after transport, housing is one of the most important issues in Bath.
“We have to make sure that we are building enough to house our children and grandchildren. A failure to build housing will force families to move out of the city. That cannot be allowed to happen.
“From working alongside Don Foster, I’ve seen how he has helped bring investment like this one to the city of Bath. If I’m elected in May, it’s just one of the ways I will continue to make our great city even better.”