'Save our communities' say Hampshire Lib Dems

10.33.13am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 21st Jul 2006

Hampshire Conservatives are trying to claim the credit for a Lib Dem initiative aimed at promoting moves to protect the unique character of our communities.

At a recent County Council meeting, Liberal Democrat councillors put forward a motion backing the Sustainable Communities Bill.

The Bill aims to tackle the effects of clone high streets where high street shops have become

almost the same all over the UK and to tackle "ghost town Britain" to get some urgent action to prevent the loss of facilities such as local post offices, community facilities and poor public transport which result in problems of social isolation and social exclusion.

The Liberal Democrats urged the County Council and Hampshire MPs to support the Sustainable Communities Bill.

Following the meeting the leader of Hampshire Conservatives put out a press release which tried to claim the credit for the move.

But the Conservatives forced a change to the motion as they claimed the loss of shops, post offices and community facilities did not really apply to Hampshire!