The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill is causing great concern for many of my constituents who, like me, want to protect the green belt around Brentwood and Ongar.
The green belt is not just a series of fields and the chance to admire the view of cows and sheep grazing from the window of the Elizabeth Line or the Central Line as we leave for London. It has been described as the “lungs of London”, an important strip of land around the capital which stops urban sprawl and maintains the chance to breathe fresh air.
While I support some of the principles, aims and ambitions of the Bill, much of which builds on the work of the last Government, key areas of this Bill leave me with concerns. As it stands, the Bill could fundamentally and irrevocably alter the character of our towns, our villages, and our natural environment without properly consulting local people.
This is why I have significant reservations about the Bill’s provisions for the removal of councillors’ ability to vote on individual applications, the disproportionate and targeted hikes for housebuilding targets in rural areas, building on the green belt under the guise of grey belt and the removal of protections for villages.
I met some of my constituents who are campaigning against motorway services being built on greenbelt land in the parish of Navestock at a meeting last month. I can see the M25 (Northeast) Residents' Association is well organised, has growing membership, and the resilience and skills needed to pursue their campaign with vigour.
Although, as a Member of Parliament, I have no jurisdiction over planning, I want to see the greenbelt protected, so I will do what I can to make sure the campaign's views are heard at the highest levels. And if that means asking the Secretary of State to call in the planning application, I will do it.
