Nigel Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley, recently welcomed Rt Hon Esther McVey MP to the Ribble Valley at an event organised by the Ribble Valley Conservative Association. The event at Foxfields Country Hotel last week was an opportunity for members to listen to the Minister of State for Housing speak about new investment in the North and the Government’s plan for the future.
Infrastructure was at the forefront of the Minister’s speech where the importance of local transport projects was stressed, including the need to connect Northern cities and re-establish the use of the Beeching lines lost in the 1960’s. In addition, Ms McVey highlighted her support for the rollout of Superfast Broadband and its importance to the towns and villages of Lancashire, who will be among those to benefit most from the project.
As the Minister responsible for the Government’s housing strategy, Ms McVey emphasised her thoughts on housing and planning, including plans to revitalise high streets and prioritising the conversion of empty properties and building into good homes for all.
Nigel Evans commented:
“It was a pleasure to invite Esther to the constituency last week to talk to members about issues that affect the North such as planning, housing, transport infrastructure and opportunities post-Brexit. Particularly interesting to me was the desire of the Housing Minister to prioritise building on brownfield land and converting unused buildings into high-quality homes.”
“I do hope the words of the Minister are relevant to the Ribble Valley’s future planning arrangement, to ensure that greenbelt land is suitably protected. Esther is welcome back to visit at any time and I praise the local association for organising the event during such a busy period.