Inspector's Panel report passes proposal for new 10 000 new homes in Welwyn Hatfield

8.10.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 6th Jul 2006

Local Liberal Democrats have reacted with horror to the report of the Inspectors' Panel, recommending to government an allocation of 10,000 additional homes in Welwyn Hatfield. This amounts to the equivalent of another Hatfield being built. The question of who will pay for all the extra infrastructure needed - hospitals, schools, roads, water etc - have been largely ignored

County councillor Malcolm Cowan seconded an emergency motion condemning the announcement at the county council meeting on June 27, and calling for a cross-county campaign to have it reversed. It was passed unanimously.

'This allocation goes way beyond what either the district, county or region think is suitable for Welwyn Hatfield. We will have to look at the detail of how the proposed change is justified by the inspectors to see how we will fight it, but fight we will' he said.