Residents of Chapel House and Chapel Park learned of the Lib Dem plans to build 80 council houses on the Parkway site in the Evening Chronicle on 15 December. These plans completely ignored the result of public consultation (paid for with our taxes!) just 18 months ago, which clearly showed that local residents wanted to preserve the site for open space and educational use.

Hundreds of local residents signed our petition calling on the council to withdraw the building plans and listen to the views of local people. Local residents Ernie Shorton and Ron Scott joined Marc Donnelly and Conservative Spokesman for Westerhope Ward in taking the fight to the council chamber.

Local Conservative Jason Smith said: “This was a real victory for people power. We presented the petition to the council and demanded that the plans were withdrawn. And they were!

“Clearly, Liberal Democrats are not interested in Chapel House and Chapel Park. They were not interested in the views of local residents until they were embarrassed in the council chamber.”