HOUSING developments springing up around Swindon must have roads and appropriate infrastructure' before homes are built, says a leading Conservative.
Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers was invited to Swindon by Rob Buckland, Conservative candidate for South Swindon.
He invited her to see the transport challenges facing Swindon, and began with a tour of new roads at the Wichelstowe development.
"Infrastructure and transport is a key issue in people's quality of life in Swindon," said Mr Buckland.
"And I am worried that with this development people will have genuine problems getting from A to B.
"The Government needs to see the challenges the Council and the people of Swindon are facing."
Ms Villiers said Swindon was losing out on transport cash because the town would not sign up to a project to introduce road use charging.
"I think it is important that new developments are supported by appropriate and sufficient infrastructure," she said.
"The Government is putting Swindon in a very tough position by setting high targets for housing growth without taking into account the infrastructure needed to support that."
Swindon Council leader Rod Bluh said that the town had been earmarked by the Government for massive development over the coming decades. In spite of that, he said, the authority was not being given the help it needed to cope with the expected population explosion.
"We're being asked to plan a multi-billion pound project and we don't know what we have to play with," he said.
"To do this properly we want to put infrastructure in upfront - but the way things are at the moment that doesn't look like happening.
"We have priced the cost at a minimum of £500m and possibly £1bn. We don't have that money so unless it comes from somewhere else we'll have a real problem."
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Justin Tomlinson Conservative MP for North Swindon |
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Robert Buckland Conservative MP for South Swindon |
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