Oxfordshire MP concerned over infrastructure following Chancellors growth announcement
Witney MP Charlie Maynard says the plans must come alongside support for things like water supplies, GPs and dentistry services.
An Oxfordshire MP has welcomed this weeks announcements of growth for the county from the Chancellor but has concerns about local infrastructure.
In a speech in Eynsham on Wednesday 29 January the Chancellor said that the Government will go “further and faster” to kick start the economy, as she unveiled new plans to deliver the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and boost the UK economy.
Whilst the MP for Witney, Charlie Maynard, welcomed the creation of a new Growth Commission for Oxford and the government’s commitment to East West Rail, announced in the Chancellors speech, he insisted there is much further to go.
He also said plans to unlock the potential in the county, have to come alongside support for Oxfordshire’s infrastructure, including rail connectivity around throughout the county.
Charlie Maynard is campaigning for the rail line linking Carterton, Witney and Oxford and believes it's needed for the people of Witney to feel the full benefits of East West Rail.
But the MP elected last July says plans to reform green belt rules to build are slightly at odd with planned changes to councils by the Labour government
"The devolving power seems a little at odds with the plans, because the government are saying you're taking these houses and we don't really care whether you're roads stop working or your health or your schools or your sewage have the capacity, you're taking the houses."
Along with other Liberal Democrat MPs in Oxfordshire, Charlie Maynard has said it is great to see the government recognising the role the county can play in delivering growth for the UK economy, but stressed that urgent action is needed locally to fix our crumbling water and sewage system, support already overstretched GP and dentistry services, improve the electricity grid, and boost the active travel & rail network.
Charlie Maynad said he was looking forward to meeting Sir Patrick Vallance in his new role as Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion as soon as possible:
"There's all this housing coming in, and using that to fund the railway through land value capture. Tying these things all together to make it happen, I don't know if we can pull it off, but I'm doing everything I can in power, with the help of many others, and I hope Lord Patrick Vallance will be one of those."
Thames Water
Further High Court hearings begin today (Friday 31 January) amid Thames Water restructure bid. The utility, England's biggest water company with about 16 million customers, is in about £16bn of debt and needs £3.3bn over the next five years to keep running. A High Court judge could sanction a restructure at a hearing in February due to last four days.
It's a hearing Charlie Maynard says he's very interested in, as he says he's aiming to intervene if the judge will let him.
"On on this enormous restructuring plan where a bunch of bankers are trying to put an extra 3 billion of debt on top of the 17 billion of debt that Thames Water already has. I'm making the case, it's like that is not in the interest of the 16,000,000 customers in Oxfordshire and beyond where we are all being stuffed."
The bills for Thames Water customers are likely to rise by 31% in April.
"All that's doing is just paying the bankers enormously high interest rates. How is that helping fix our rivers? It's not. And the government is not serious about really drawing a line under this. Put them into special administration, to you and I known as bankruptcy.
Get rid of that debt and then get sensible about all the spend that needs to be spent on the sewer treatment works to get them up to scratch, which is a big job, but it's not going to be fixed overnight. But I want the government to be taking the sensible steps and they're not on sewage."
A spokesperson for Defra said:
"Like any company needing to secure new investment there are a wide range of options available to water companies, including the injection of new equity from any prospective investors.
Ofwat, as the financial regulator of the water sector, continues to engage with Thames Water to improve its financial resilience. We prepare for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries - including water - as any responsible government would."