It Will Leave the Inadequate with No Hiding Place ; On the House

Summary

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ERIC Pickles deserves to be the toast of Somerset. Since coming to office his department has saved the green belt and abandoned an expensive scheme to centralise the Fire Emergency Response Network.

The last government had intended to build more than 20,000 houses and would have ruined villages such as Whitchurch and Newton St. Loe. One of the Conservatives' main campaign pledges was to abolish these top-down targets and allow local democracy to rule. The Fire Service proposal was one of John Prescott's more expensive follies which would have closed the efficient centre at the top of Lansdown with the loss of jobs in North East Somerset.

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Extract

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It Will Leave the Inadequate with No Hiding Place ; On the House

These two decisions are emblematic of Mr. Pickles' approach. He is willing to trust local councils, fire br...

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