"Budget failed to tackle Warrington issues"

MP Faisal Rashid, says he is disappointed at the Chancellor’s failure to take real action in the Budget to address issues affecting Warrington residents.
The Warrington South MP says the budget failed to tackle the North-South divide and many keys issues affecting his constituents.
He called on the government to do more to deliver affordable housing and protect the Green Belt.
Mr Rashid said: “The budget failed to address many of the key issues affecting Warrington South residents.
“I was extremely disappointed the Chancellor chose to make little headway in addressing the North-South divide that continues to exist in our country.
“Infrastructure is key to the development of the Northern Powerhouse and yet the Government has introduced another toll in the North West. My constituents now face bills of more than £1,000 a year to cross the new Mersey Gateway toll bridge.
“Once again the Government failed to address the huge shortage of affordable homes. Under Conservative-led Governments, we have seen homelessness double, ownership fall to a 30-year low, the lowest number of social rented homes built since records began, and the number of new affordable homes fall by half since 2010. We needed real action in this Budget to tackle the growing housing crisis.
“I raised strong concerns about the future of our Green Belt. The Campaign to Protect Rural England has found an increase in the number of houses planned for the Green Belt, and yet the type of housing being built will do very little to address the affordable housing crisis.
“While I welcome the Chancellor’s commitment to continue the strong protection of our Green Belt, the reality is that in the face of increasing Government pressure to meet housing targets, many local authorities are turning to the release of this land to receive financial incentives and avoid sanctions. This budget was a missed opportunity to strengthen Green Belt protections and to enshrine a brownfield-first approach to development.
“The Government must do more to address the North/South divide, tackle the housing crisis and protect our Green Belt. In Westminster, my Labour colleagues and I will continue to keep up the pressure for action on these important issues. And I will continue to fight for the people of Warrington South to protect our NHS and social care, for affordable housing and on all the issues that matter to local people.”