There has been much published in this paper about the seemingly apparent ease with which property developers are able to cover vast swathes of our ever-decreasing countryside with new housing.

One could not be blamed for thinking that our locally elected representatives on the district councils are taking “back-handers” and bribes from the companies which build new homes. But no, this is certainly not the case.

Our locally elected representatives are taking bribes from a far more sinister entity – central government. A total of £1 billion of taxpayers’ money has been set aside to dish out to district councils under the New Homes Bonus grant scheme. For every new home built and occupied, our district councils will receive not only the council tax contribution from the home owner, but the same amount again from central government, all guaranteed for the next six years.

But surely, I hear you say, that’s a good thing. Isn’t all this extra funding ploughed back into our community?

Today’s letters

But don’t be duped. First of all, there is the question of where all this extra money is coming from in the first place.

You’ve guessed right, it comes from us – the taxpayer. This additional revenue is swelling the coffers of district councils across the country by millions of pounds every year and will continue to do so for the next six years. Yet do we see any tangible improvements in our local communities? Are the services which the council provides any better than they used to be?

Just think about it the next time you are stuck in gridlocked traffic in our increasingly congested towns and villages.

The second question is: what happens when central government stops paying the grant after six years? How are our district councils going to make up for these lost revenues, which they will have grown increasingly dependent upon, just to maintain the current status quo? You’ve guessed right again – the local council taxpayer will be expected to dig deeply to make up for the shortfall. We have district council elections in May next year as well as a general election. You might want to ask those canvassing for your vote what their party’s position is in regards to further housing development in your local community.

Gordon Collingwood

Balmoral Road

Didcot

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.