Call for house-building cap in 'smallest city'

Historic Vicars' Close in Wells is not typical of the large-scale house-building taking place on the edges of the city

An MP has backed calls for a cap on house-building on the edge of England's smallest city.

Tessa Munt MP, Liberal Democrat for Wells and Mendip Hills, told a BBC Radio Somerset contributor that she agreed with the idea.

Resident Miranda Frank said Wells "seems to be joined up to all the local villages", adding "there doesn't seem to be a separation any more".

Ms Munt said: "England's smallest city needs to stay as England's smallest city and there needs to be space - each of our villages is unique - so yes of course we should do that [cap new house building]."

During a BBC Hotseat interview, Ms Munt also responded to listeners' concerns about special educational needs and the proposed scrapping of winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Tessa Munt is the Lib Dem MP for places including Banwell, Axbridge and Shepton Mallet

The Labour government wants to increase house building targets in Somerset by 46% compared to the previous Conservative administration. It means 3,891 homes being built in the county every year.

The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, has previously admitted her plans “won’t be without controversy” but changes were required to make housing more affordable.

Ms Munt said she does not support these targets and also took issue with the way some new-build developments are managed.

"There are lots of estates which are half built - in my terms - the houses are there, they've managed to flog the houses off, but actually they've never finished the roads, the green spaces - developers are shocking at this," she claimed.

'Enormous problem'

During the interview on BBC Radio Somerset, Tessa Munt also said she was writing a "massive letter" to the education secretary about support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

"It is an enormous, enormous problem across the country," she said.

"I've seen four families this weekend who have had challenges getting the right sort of education for their children.

"We need to make sure we have an education system that works for young people - and for teachers... we need to get it sorted out."

The education secretary has previously said the Labour government would take a "different approach" to SEND provision.

"We have a broken system in desperate need of long-term renewal. I won’t make false promises, change won’t feel as quick as parents – or I – would like. I will make sure our approach is fully planned and delivered with parents, schools, councils, and everyone who works with children," said Bridget Phillipson.

'Collaring' health secretary

Ms Munt also said she had been promised a meeting with the health secretary after "collaring" him in a parliamentary corridor.

"I saw Wes Streeting and said 'I need to talk to you and I need to bring Radiotherapy UK with me because if you want to sort out the NHS you're not going to do it unless you've got the right equipment'.

"He said 'come and see me and bring them with you'."

Ms Munt said it came after she met him at the Wells Literature Festival in October last year.

The MP also voiced her opposition to the government's decision to remove winter fuel payments from most pensioners, worth £200-£300 a year, which it said would help plug a £22bn "black hole" it says exists in the national finances.

"In my view the thing you would do is take this away from people who pay a higher rate tax, as a start," she said.

"I think you also need to give people a warning as those rises in [state] pensions are not going to happen until next year so you've got a gap - it's a shock to the system when you haven't got £300 on which you were depending."