In the lead up to the Lib Dem organised public meeting on the Regional Spatial Strategy, Bath MP Don Foster has stressed how important it is that purpose built student housing should count towards the Government imposed target.

Don said, “I have been informed that there are at least 1500 properties within the Bath constituency that are exempt from Council Tax because they are lived in by students.  This is the same number as the Bath urban expansion that was agreed by the Council, although the Government has since put this up to 2000.  If we could free up these properties by moving students into purpose built blocks, then we could almost negate the need to build an urban extension to Bath.  Of course, it isn’t that simple, but these figures clearly illustrate the point that Liberal Democrats in Bath have been making.

Commenting, Don said, “Residents need a chance to have their say on all aspects of the RSS – from where they feel houses should or shouldn’t be built, to what added infrastructure they think will be needed, to what they believe a realistic target actually is.  After all, we do need new affordable homes in Bath. Don will be taking the views of all residents forward to his meeting with Regional Minister Ben Bradshaw MP at the beginning of October.