Be Vigilant for our Green Belt

7th January 2013

Eric Pickles' pledge: Green belt 'safe and sound in coalition care'

SECRETARY of State Eric Pickles has pledged the Government's latest planning guidelines will not encroach on green belt land.

The Local Government Secretary spoke in the House of Commons after Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke pressed him on the issue. Mrs Brooke asked: "What overall impact does the Secretary of State estimate that the Growth and Infrastructure Bill will have on the green belt given the national planning policy framework that is now in place?"

Mr Pickles assured her that "the green belt remains very safe and sound in coalition care. The position is clearly laid out in the national planning policy framework, and the bill does not affect the green belt."

30th November 2012

Daily Mail Story
Rural campaigners blast minister’s plan to rip up two million acres of countryside for new housing

29th November 2012

Statement from Campaign to Protect Rural England National Office Wednesday, 28th November 2012:

Nick Boles: wrong on housing, wrong on the countryside

Planning Minister Nick Boles's call to increase the urbanised area of England is provocative and unnecessary, and casts a shadow over at least 25% of our undisturbed countryside, say countryside campaigners CPRE.

In a speech to the Town and Country Planning Association on Thursday, Planning Minister Nick Boles will call for an increase in the area of built up land in England to 12% from what he claims is the current figure of 9%. Yet Government figures show that 12% of England's land area is already built on – the third highest figure in Europe after Belgium and Holland. Research by CPRE has shown that this level of urbanisation has impacts well beyond this area, to the point where only 50% of English countryside is currently perceived to be truly undisturbed by urban intrusion [1].

While CPRE agrees with Nick Boles that we need to build more houses, and that the quality of new house-building should be improved, we disagree that using more and more green land for house-building will solve current problems with the housing market.

There are enough previously developed 'brownfield' sites already available for 1.5 million new homes. Mr Boles should forget about unrealistic think-tank schemes to concrete across the countryside, and make it his priority to do more to redevelop these sites, to reuse empty homes for affordable housing and to pressure house-builders to get on with putting up the 400,000 homes for which they already have planning permission.

Shaun Spiers, Chief Executive of Campaign to Protect Rural England, says:

'We do need to build many more new homes in this country and some will have to go on greenfield sites. Nick Boles does not appear to know how much of England is really built on. Nor does he seem to understand that the countryside does not always have to be outstandingly beautiful to be worth protecting. It is equally crucial that people have places to enjoy peace and tranquillity, as the Government's own National Planning Policy Framework recognises.

'Rather than giving up on good planning and allowing housebuilders to let rip, we should be re-using the tens of thousands of hectares of brownfield land available for high quality affordable housing, and strengthening protection for recognised 'tranquil' areas of countryside. That is the best way to a lasting economic recovery'.

Shaun Spiers concluded:

'When he was running a think tank, Nick Boles specialised in interesting if somewhat unrealistic ideas. He is no longer an intellectual gadfly. He is a Minister with a serious job and it is time that he got serious'.

Notes

[1] The intrusion data is in table 11 on page 27 of CPRE/Land Use Consultants, Developing an Intrusion map for England, August 2007 - Link here. Government figures taken from the Barker Review of Land Use Planning interim report.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) fights for a better future for the English countryside. We work locally and nationally to protect, shape and enhance a beautiful, thriving countryside for everyone to value and enjoy. Our members are united in their love for England's landscapes and rural communities, and stand up for the countryside, so it can continue to sustain, enchant and inspire future generations. Founded in 1926, President: Sir Andrew Motion, Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

28th November 2012

Trevor Bevins - Executive Director of Dorset Campaign to Protect Rural England notes:-

"The Telegraph reports today that the Govt is planning to encourage building on thousands of acres to meet housing demand - the Minister responsible for this will be on Newsnight on BBC 2 TV this evening. The publicity makes the point that people who are likely to object are being "selfish". I did hear a comment on R4 this morning that Green Belt would be protected, but I suspect that can be taken with a pinch of salt."

The link to the story - Telegraph - Government minister warns: 'We must develop a third more land' to meet housing demand

Terry Stewart, President of Dorset Council for Protection of Rural England warns:-

"They promise not to build in the Green Belt- but the Sunday Telegraph listed major invasions of the Green Belt. Watch the small print!"