Sherington Tory

This week the MK Lib Dems are claiming on their http://www.miltonkeynes.libdems.org.uk/news/251.html?PHPSESSID=46279a4534cc0674540c09ef059da8cf website that thanks to them Milton Keynes leads the way in environmentally friendly construction and facilities management. According to them they are making sure that all buildings comply with their (sic) "ground breaking initiative" to (according to Lid Dem leader Isobel McCall) "minimise the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment, and shows the Liberal Democrat administration's commitment to putting the environment at the heart of what we do". They will do this be enforcing the following ensuring that new buildings submitted for planning approval are have :

• Energy efficiency by siting, design, layout and buildings' orientation to maximise sunlight and daylight, avoidance of overshadowing and passive ventilation systems.
• Landscaping or planting design that optimises screening and improves individual buildings' thermal performance. Renewable energy technologies.
• Sustainable urban drainage systems including rainwater and waste water collection and recycling.

Well, it's really not ground breaking at all. You see every proposed new building must conform to the http://www.labc.co.uk/buildingregs/default.asp?editorial_id=14172 Building Regulations in force at that time. Even the most cursory glance of the building regs shows that what the sneaky Lib Dems are talking about is covered under parts H, J, and L of the current regulations.

So in other words they are claiming that they are being "ground breaking" when in fact all they are doing is enforcing the regulations that the law requires them to. They are assuming that as most people don't know how the planning process works that no-one will challenge them.

Remember their campaining directive: Be wicked. Act shamelessly. Stir endlessly.