Leon Duveen for Bassetlaw

The issues for Bassetlaw  

Unconventional Gas Extraction (Fracking)

The plans for gas extraction in the North & East of Bassetlaw are already well underway with trail bores & exploration activity taking place with one of the possible site for another test bore being very close to the underground source of Worksop’s drinking water.  In spite of what he Tories & John Mann would have you believe, there are few (if any) benefits for the local people.  It is already widely accepted (even by George Osborne) that Fracking will not bring down energy costs.  Environmental problems associated with it make it.

 

Local Democracy for Retford & Worksop

All the villages and small towns in Bassetlaw have their local (Parish & Town) Councils to deal with local issues, run the local amenities (playgrounds & allotments for example) for local people.  These councils also have an important role in planning, making sure that local views are heard and local development plans are made.  The only exceptions to this are Worksop & Retford where local people have not direct say in the running of their town. 

Leon & the local Liberal Democrats are leading the campaign to establish Town Councils for both Retford & Worksop, to give the people of both towns more of a say about their town.  "If the residents of Carlton, Harworth or Misterton can be trusted with running their communities, why aren’t Retfordians or Worksopians trusted to do the same?"

 

Housing

From the latest statistic publically available, last year (2013) there are over 3600 families on the Council House Waiting list in Bassetlaw but only 10 new Social Housing units were completed in the District, all by Housing Associations and none by the District Council.

This is unacceptable, we need more social housing here in Bassetlaw, no new developments should be allowed unless they contain a substantial amount of social housing units.  Other (Lib Dem Controlled) Councils have imposed a quota of 30%, Bassetlaw should do likewise.

In addition to making sure we get the social housing needed for the District, it is also important that any new developments are built in the right places, “As with Empty Houses, more use should be made of the existing resources before building on Green Fields site.  There are plenty of former shops, old industrial and other small sites that could be used for housing without the need to sacrifice more of our precious green areas”