Update following today's Full Council meeting

Update following today's Full Council meeting

Today I had the privilege of speaking at Ribble Valley Full Council and formally presenting the petition on behalf of more than 1,200 residents.

Firstly, thank you to every single person who signed, shared the petition, attended meetings, contacted councillors, or supported this campaign. Your support has been incredible.

During the meeting, the Council advised that its barrister's opinion was that there would be little prospect of success in pursuing a Judicial Review. Councillors were then given the opportunity to debate the petition, although this was limited to a strict 15-minute debate before a vote was taken.

Unfortunately, the outcome was not the one we had hoped for.

Rather than pursuing further legal action, the Council resolved to focus on improving its five-year housing land supply and to accelerate work on updating the Local Plan. During the debate, they also appealed to landowners across the Ribble Valley to come forward with suitable land that could help increase future housing supply.

While I am naturally disappointed with today's decision, I remain incredibly proud of what our community has achieved together in such a short space of time. Over 1,200 people came together to make their voices heard, and that should not be underestimated.

This campaign has always been about standing up for Langho, protecting the Ribble Valley, and ensuring that planning decisions are properly scrutinised. Although today's vote wasn't the outcome we wanted, the strength of community support has been remarkable, and I sincerely thank every one of you for being part of it.

Together, we have shown just how much people care about the future of our communities. 💚

Do not despair! I will keep everyone posted on next steps!