A NEW Government proposal to allow residents to vote on developments on their street received a strong objection from Weymouth Councillors.

Street Vote Development Orders have been introduced by the UK Government to allow residents to vote on whether developments on their own street should be given planning permission.

The Government says the orders will "support the long-term plan for housing" – facilitating housing delivery and growth across England in partnership with local communities.

The Planning and Licensing Committee of Weymouth Town Council were asked to give a response about the idea, either as a council or as individual councillors

Cllr Lucy Hamilton blasted the Government plan as "the most ridiculous amount of junk I have ever read".

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, January 30, Cllr Hamilton said: “I am grateful to whoever put this on the agenda because I cannot believe my eyes.

“This is enabling street referenda to agree and support development within their street.

“The govt is going to fund local authorities to do this, but what is it going to achieve?

"This will push up house prices.

“This is the most ridiculous amount of junk I have ever read.

“This is developers developing their own street, we need money to build housing, this is nothing to do with housing.

“It may work for Mayfair where they want to extend down towards the centre of the earth."

Asked about what the Council wished to include in a reply, Cllr Hamilton added: “Are we entitled to have any expletives in our reply?"

Cllr Luke Wakeling also raised concerns over the Government proposal, saying it would increase "NIMBYism" - an acronym for the phrase "not in my backyard",  regarding opposition by residents to proposed developments in their local area.

Cllr Wakeling said: “This will encourage an insane level of NIMBYism.

“A block of six people on a street can suddenly form a block that can veto any planning on that street.

"I think it is a backwards step, I am all for people getting involved.

“With this, you will end up with the haves maintaining what they have."

The committee responded to the Government's proposal, saying: “We want to object. This is complex, it is costly, it will put pressure on local authorities it doesn’t build any new houses and it increases the gap between the haves and have nots."