Jesmond Residents Association endorse student housing strategy

2.40.00pm GMT Fri 30th Oct 2009

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman for Newcastle East Greg Stone has welcomed the strong support from the Jesmond Residents Association for the council's student housing strategy, designed to help safeguard the sustainability of residential communities in Newcastle East such as Jesmond, Sandyford, and Heaton.

The JRA have written to the city council endorsing the approach proposed by the authority, and criticising attempts by the Labour party to block the proposals.

Greg said "The Jesmond Residents Association are a very long established organisation who are widely respected for their work both within Jesmond and within the national residents association sector. They guard their political independence very fiercely, so the strength of their comments in this case carry significant weight. I am grateful for their support for the actions the Lib Dem administration are taking, and for their recognition that the student housing strategy will help to improve quality of life of students and residents alike"

http://www.the-jra.org.uk/NewsPage(7).htm

Extract from letter sent by the JRA to Newcastle City Council:

"The Association, therefore, must conclude reluctantly that the action taken by Councillor Forbes et al is politically motivated and is a ploy designed to sow seeds of dissension by distraction from the issues at hand. It feels that Councillor Forbes and his fellow Councillors are completely out of step with the Council as a whole and are unable to grasp the wider ramifications of the Strategy. It is also evident that they are out of touch with the views and concerns expressed by residents of Jesmond, which is made all the more indefensible by the fact that the previous administration failed to address these when it was in power.

They are also, apparently, ignorant of the fact that many of their colleagues of the same political persuasion, both at national and local level, are also working towards policies similar to that of Newcastle Council.

The Association would stress that it is, by its Constitution and policy, apolitical. It does not take issue on political stances, but in this case, it feels constrained to make such comment."