I attended a meeting in the Arts Center in Haverhill last night. I was intrigued to see what is going on. It seems the proposal is for a new city between Newmarket and Haverhill.

Not any old city. A city for nearly 400,000 houses! That’s right, a city 3/4 the size of Birmingham right here. 45000 acres of prime country side concreted over.

In Cambridgeshire, the new town of Northstowe was 10,000 houses and that was a huge challenge. I can’t begin to imagine a new city of 370,000 houses built from scratch, in an area that is short of water and infrastructure.

I was able to get in my question first. I explained that I am a West Suffolk Councillor and standing as a county councillor in May for much of the area under consideration. I included that I used to be the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council with experience of a new town, Northstowe.

I explained we have just gone through a lengthy local plan process which looks at the likely demand and how we are to meet it.

I let them know there is no demand for 370,000 houses. I asked how they were going to protect current home owners from planning blight as a result of this idea. They had no answer.

They were asked what would happen if someone did not want to sell. Compulsory purchase!

Albion City Development Corporation Ltd is the company heading this up with Shiv Malik being a director.

Shiv Malik led the event. It seems he was was formerly an investigative journalist with the Guardian. He made it clear he was not a developer. He confirmed he has no experience of planning. He has not brought forward a new settlement before.

I couldn’t work out what expertise he brought to the party until I twigged he is soon to become the son in law of Dame Patricia Hewitt (former Secretary of State for Trade and Health), a senior member of Labour. Patricia is supporting this project.

Labour are supporting this idea including a Haverhill Labour councillor.

This is a non starter that should never have started.

Watch this space for more info together with how we intend opposing it.