In Parliament, Mark has served on the Communities & Local Government Select Committee. In addition he has knowledge of the planning system from his time as a member of the planning committee for Rugby Borough Council, prior to first becoming Rugby and Bulkington’s Member of Parliament in 2010.
Mark has been the keynote speaker for the Town & Country Planning Association’s Conference on “More Homes, Better Places.” Speaking there, Mark talked about the importance of ensuring a supply of affordable homes across the constituency and the ways in which both Central and Local Government need to work together in order to meet the needs of the population.
Speaking at the conference, Mark said: “Whatever the result of the General Election, planning and development will have to be a priority for the incoming government. Thanks to the long-term economic plan that we have implemented over the course of this Parliament, Rugby and Bulkington, like Britain as a whole, is recovering from Labour’s Great Recession. We have seen unemployment fall from 4.2% in April 2010 to just 1.9% in March 2015. Businesses are hiring again and the median weekly wage in Rugby is £530, £10 higher than the UK figure and £50 higher than the West Midlands. All this shows that here in Rugby we are making real progress, but there is still more work to be done.
“Local authorities should put resources into local plan making to deliver growth in population matched by growth in resources – pressure on education, health and facilities are often raised as objections to further development. It’s therefore vital that Local Authorities work with developers to encourage applications which will support investment in schools, roads and health centres. This will not only help to relieve pressure on existing services, but also crucially will have more support from local residents. Here in Rugby, we are seeing the mast site be developed for new, affordable housing. And it’s not simply about providing more housing, as it will also provide new employment opportunities and boost Rugby’s economic growth. These kinds of developments are the right ones for our future and will allow Rugby to build on the progress we have made over the last 5 years.
“Regardless of which party is in Government, Britain needs stability in the planning process to ensure that we can make the most of the opportunities to develop and grow our towns. That’s why I am pleased that the National Planning Policy Framework has cross-party support. When it comes to bring development forward we have to bring local people with us and make sure they are engaged. If we’re going to build more homes, we need to look at land supply and making best use of freeing up brownfield sites for appropriate development that serves the needs of the local community.
“Thanks to our long-term economic plan, a Conservative Government would focus on securing the recovery and delivering a joined up planning programme between Central and Local Government. Through this we can support the growth of Rugby and Bulkington in the future, ensuring we meet the demand for new housing and deliver additional facilities.”