Jonathan Djanogly Member of Parliament for the Huntingdon Constituency has today voiced his disappointment at the government's decision to reduce Cambridgeshire's Housing Growth Fund Capital allocation by nearly £6 million for 2010-11. This money was to be sourced through Cambridgeshire Horizons, the organisation which co-ordinates and implements planned growth in the County.
Mr Djanogly said
'This is a significant blow for our local economy. We are one of the fastest growing areas in the country and this is going to continue as we come out of the recession. There is huge demand for housing locally and this decision will make it more difficult to deliver much needed housing and infrastructure.
'I am also disappointed in the way that this information has been released by the government, it been slipped out by Ministers just one day before the summer recess and it was published along with 55 other statements compared to the usual number of 8 per day.
'I understand that the national pot of money has not been reduced. So the question is, to whom has it been diverted? It does appear that the government continues to play politics with our local funding allocation. On the basis that our money has been moved elsewhere, I have written to the Minister of State for Housing at the Department of Communities and Local Government in order ask where this money is going and to urgently reconsider this decision.
'To have just thrown this announcement in out of the blue, without consultation, is wholly unacceptable to local people. This could have serious implications locally for a variety of proposed projects in St Neots and roads in Huntingdon, including the new proposed road connecting Ermine Street and Brampton Road. I understand that Huntingdonshire District Council is to be reviewing this in greater detail and I shall be working closely with them in holding this government to account.'"