Two items in The Voice on Thursday, August 18 neatly encapsulate the mess in which our area now finds itself.
First, on page 3, we hear that plans to develop a new primary healthcare centre for Holbeach (previously a pre-condition for planning approval for building an additional 900 homes in Holbeach) have now been dropped – only to be replaced by plans to build an extra 19 homes on this land instead, hence adding yet further pressure on our two current GP practices.
Second, in the Letters on page 8, Margaret Leyton argues the UK is at risk of losing our representative, Parliamentary democracy just because we held one, advisory Referendum vote that resulted in a marginal majority in favour of the UK leaving the EU (albeit on terms completely unknown and yet to be clarified).
So where does our elected MP John Hayes currently stand on these two, vital issues?
As far as I understand:
In terms of primary healthcare provision for Holbeach (to cope with an initial wave of 919 additional homes, rising, over time, to possibly 2,300 extra homes), John Hayes is not currently involved in seeking to ensure healthcare provision matches increasing housing provision locally – a responsibility split between Local Government and the NHS.
Instead, John Hayes seems to be actively campaigning against the building of 39 new homes (not 919 new homes) in Moulton, which currently has good access to primary healthcare.
In terms of possible options for the UK leaving the EU, and the impact these options would have on our local area, John Hayes MP is surprisingly silent.
I believe the time has come for us, the voters locally, to demand to hear from John Hayes MP what he intends to do about three, key issues: (1) ensuring adequate primary healthcare provision for Holbeach; (2) preserving representative, Parliamentary democracy in the UK; and (3) maintaining the current union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
I very much look forward to hearing John Hayes’s response.
Alan Meekings
Holbeach
