Government must not ride roughshod over Shropshire’s countryside, says Stuart Anderson MP
Stuart Anderson MP has called on the government to ‘rethink’ plans to deprive rural communities of its green belt, after the government announced measures to declassify vast swathes of the green belt. The government plans to identify ‘grey belt’ within the ‘green belt’ which can be used for future development. It is part of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which councils have labelled as ‘unrealistic and unfair.’ This proposes a new housing methodology that slashes housing targets for London, while doubling it in other regions like Shropshire.
Shropshire Council has raised “very significant concerns” about its ability to reach the housing targets imposed by the new government. Stuart said that these concerns are particularly understandable, given that cities like London already have the infrastructure needed to support future development. In the revised methodology, housing need in Shropshire would increase by nearly 1,000 new homes a year from 1,070 to 2,059, a figure that the area has never achieved.
Stuart has said that the government must instead support densification in inner city areas by maximising the use of existing infrastructure and services. It is based on research which shows that greenhouse gas emissions are 41 per cent lower in cities in the UK than elsewhere, driven by reduced demand on both home energy and transport usage in high density areas. The government’s own research shows that there are also almost 700,000 empty and unfurnished homes in England, 261,471 of which have been so for more than six months.
In recognition of this, Stuart has urged the government to better support developers in remediating complex sites that have laid dormant for years. It comes after the last government committed in its manifesto to looking at extending ‘full expensing’ to the delivery of brownfield housing. This would create a tax incentive that reduces the upfront investment needed on brownfield sites by deferring tax paid until homes are sold rather than as they are built.
Stuart added the type and appearance of development is crucial in assembling local support for development. So, he has also called on the government to extend the ‘Rural Housing Enablers’ scheme, which was launched by the previous government last year with £2.5 million to bring forward small-scale developments that meet the needs of rural community. Under the scheme, a network of independent advisors works with communities to develop affordable housing schemes that enjoy local support – delivering the right homes in the right places, while guarding against encroachment on the countryside and farmland and upholding food security.
The last government was also clear about the importance of building beautifully, having added it as a requirement. Stuart has said it is concerning the government is looking to remove this requirement as well as the requirement that the availability of agricultural land used for food production should be considered when deciding what sites are most appropriate for future development. He added that, if the government implemented the above recommendations, it would deliver the right homes in the right places while protecting Shropshire’s countryside. It comes after the last government made a commitment to protecting 30 per cent of UK land by 2030 and restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife habitat so that more families can enjoy the Great British countryside.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“I am worried that the government’s proposals on planning reform ignores local communities and would fail to deliver the right homes in the right places. Our countryside in Shropshire is cherished by us all. Protecting it and our farmland is important to my constituents – as it is to me. Of course, rural communities need suitable housing that allows people to stay where they want to live and ensures businesses have a locally rooted workforce. Nonetheless, the government must not ride roughshod over our countryside. It must rethink its approach and instead support densification in inner city areas. With almost a million empty homes, the government should also make it easier to convert derelict sites into new homes. Doing so would protect our precious countryside, uphold food security, and result in lower energy usage. I am clear that the new government must listen to the needs and concerns of rural communities like ours.”
