Newcastle Labour Councillors “Let’s Talk” slogan is looking very shaky after they failed to send any Labour representative to the Save Gosforth Wildlife meeting at Gosforth Civic Hall on Nov 15^th. The meeting was called to discuss worrying proposals would see 600 homes built on Green Belt land right up against Gosforth Nature Reserve. Over 400 people turned up to hear about the plans from Council officers. Cllr Murison, the Cabinet member for “Quality of Life”, who has responsibility for planning & housing issues, was invited to explain his reasons for including this controversial proposal in Newcastle’s  plans, but decided not to attend this important public meeting. He only let the organisers of the meeting know he wasn’t coming at 10.30 pm the night before! The Labour Council launched “Let’s Talk” in July and claim it is “an honest, open conversation with as many people as possible”, but that doesn’t seem to include the 400 people in Gosforth. So much for a listening Council! Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet member Bill Shepherd did accept the invitation & told the meeting that under the Liberal Democrats this proposal would never have been included in the plans.

Cllr WENDY TAYLOR is extremely concerned that these proposals would seriously damage the nature reserve. The reserve is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The wildlife in the reserve forages in the fields surrounding the reserve. It is those fields on which the housing would be built. The animals that live in the area include; Deer, badgers, hares, otters, red squirrels, owls, bats, voles and countless species of small bird. This is yet another example of Labour’s lack of commitment to the environment.  This is a terrible blunderand if it goes ahead, it cannot be undone. Liberal Democrat Councillors are calling on Labour to withdraw the proposal immediately.

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