Lib Dem Fake News claims to have saved Winchfield
Quite astonishingly, the local Lib Dems have issued a Fake News leaflet claiming credit for the Winchfield New Town being removed from the Hart Local Plan.
In their leaflet, they say that County Councillor David Simpson and local campaigner Howard Kitto welcome the decision to remove the new town. To be fair, David Simpson has been a long-standing opponent of the new town.
However, the Lib Dem fake news leaflet fails to mention:
- The Lib Dems were part of the administration that put forward the new town in the Local Plan. Indeed Lib Dem Councillor Graham Cockarill was and is the Portfolio head of Planning. In addition, David Neighbour is the Leader of the council who oversaw the policy.
- Every single Lib Dem Hart Councillor has voted in favour of the new town at every opportunity.
- On the same night they made the announcement that the Inspector had found the new town unsound, they voted to keep £785,990 in next year’s budget for further work on the new town.
- At the Cabinet that decided to withdraw the new town, Councillor Cockarill described the removal as “a bit of a defeat”
It is only after the Inspector found their plans unsound that they reluctantly removed the new town from the Local Plan. Look at the body language when they made the announcement, they were clearly sad to see it removed.
It will be interesting to see if they are delivering the same messages in Yateley and Fleet.
No wonder people have lost faith in politicians when they issue such blatant fake news.
Their full leaflet can be found on the links below: