Shadow housing minister given tour of town

SHADOW housing minister Grant Shapps visited Rotherham on Wednesday following a request from Conservative parliamentary candidate Michelle Donelan.

SHADOW housing minister Grant Shapps visited the town on Wednesday following a request from Conservative parliamentary candidate Michelle Donelan.

Mr Shapps toured the Wentworth and Dearne constituency after being invited to the area to discuss housing issues in Rotherham.

Miss Donelan asked the minister to visit the area after residents approached her with concerns about the lack of council housing in the area, plans to build on the green belt and the delivery of services.

The Conservative candidate took Mr Shapps to Brampton Bierlow to talk to residents who have been living next to proprieties that have been derelict for up to four years despite housing shortages in the town.

She said: “Residents have complained about the lack of communication from their MP and council and questioned the timing of the recent work on the houses in relation to the upcoming elections.

John Healey has failed to ensure local residents are taken care of when it comes to housing with local residents describing themselves as ‘fed up and ignored’.”

The party then moved on to a green belt site in Ravenfield which is the subject of housing development proposals by Rotherham Borough Council.

Miss Donelan added: “The Labour council and government's insistence to build on green belt is unbelievable given the availability of derelict brown field sites and Grant was interested in the 'save our green belt campaign' and has asked for residents to send him their questions.”

Miss Donelan said that she was calling for a permanent cut in stamp duty for first-time buyers up to £250,000 and for an equity stake for social tenants who were good neighbours.

She said that the party was pledging to build more family homes with parking spaces and gardens for young families by “scrapping flawed Whitehall density rules.”