NUNEATON MP Marcus Jones and his Bedworth and North Warwickshire counterpart Dan Byles have accused the borough council of `losing control over local planning.'
Their scathing attack on the Town Hall follows a decision by a government planning inspector to allow hundreds of homes to be built in Weddington Fields.
Both Conservative members insist that the controlling Labour group's inability to set a Local Plan to satisfy housing targets will `open the floodgates' for developers to build on countryside and green belt land.
Thousands of people campaigned against plans by Hallam Developments to create a new housing estate with 326 homes on farmland at Weddington.
But the planning inspector gave the developers the go-ahead after a Public Inquiry because the borough council had not shown it could meet its housing targets for the next five years.
Marcus Jones said: "The Labour council have treated the Weddington people shambolicly and if they don't move quickly to close off this route for developers I fear that the people of St Nicolas Park, Galley Common and Whitestone will be under threat from development on countryside land."
The Weddington Fields bombshell followed a decision by a government planning inspector to allow a development at Keresley for the same reasons.
"I have been concerned about the lack of action by the council's controlling councillors," said Marcus Jones. "By consistently shifting the goalposts and refusing to come forward with a Local Plan they are putting communities at risk of unplanned, unwanted development."
He insisted that both decisions by government inspectors over the developments at Weddington and Keresley were taken because the council could not demonstrate a sufficient housing supply to satisfy the housing target that the council's cabinet agreed.
"They have been unable to set a Local Plan to satisfy the 7,900 house target laid down by the controlling Labour group, despite being advised to do so by the Secretary of State 20 months ago and have left people across the borough high and dry and at risk of a raft of large scale planning proposals led by the developers that could get the green light regardless of local views."
Dan Byles said: "This is completely unacceptable. Under the last government, Labour wanted to impose 13,800 houses on the borough and I am glad that the Conservatives did not agree to that when they were in control at the Town Hall.
"Labour regained control in May 2010 and were told they could set their own housing targets and Local Plan. They have now had over 20 months to achieve that and all we have to show is a rushed target, set without consultation and no Local Plan to demonstrate land supply and laying us completely open to developer-led planning and I now fear for the future of the Woodlands."
Councillor Danny Aldington, cabinet member for planning and development at the Town Hall, said: "The council accepts the decision of the government inspector and we will now work hard to get a development which is best for the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth."
