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16 Jan 1998
The Government risks losing marginal seats for Labour by continuing
to allow massive new housing development in the countryside. New figures
released by Friends of the Earth the day before a conference on greenfield
housing [1] show how major new housing proposals are already concentrated
in some of Labour's marginal seats.
Last Year, Planning Minister Richard Caborn MP announced that the target for the percentage of the 4.4 million new homes to be provided on re-used land “remains at 50 per cent", implying that over 2 million new houses could be built on greenfield sites [2]. The resulting sub-urban sprawl would encroach on the countryside and generate extra traffic.
Greenfield developments are often hugely unpopular with local people, and can lead to vigorous protests. Friends of the Earth's new figures show how major housing development are already proposed for some of Labour's most vulnerable parliamentary seats, including:
Wellingorough Labour majority 187Paul Stinchcombe MP1900 home development proposed in the local area (moved to eastern side of town,which currently has industrial/mining activity, but is still 70-80% greenfield.)
Northampton South Labour majority 744Tony
Clark MP
1000 home development proposed for Grange
Park
4200 home development proposed for Upton/Duston
1800 home development proposed for Wootton
Fields
Lancaster and WyreLabour majority 1295Thomas
Dawson MP
350 home development proposed for Royal
Albert (half is on greenfield site)
885 home development proposed for Whinney
Carr
Forest of DeanLabour
majority 6343Diana Organ MP
2500 home development proposed for Beaufort
Bridge (this figure is from a developer,
the structure plan doesn't put a figure on it, but has identified
the area)
KeighleyLabour
majority 7132Ann Cryer MP
1200 home development proposed for Silsden
Local protests already taking place against these proposals include
6,000 letters of objection to the Beaufort Bridge scheme (Forest of
Dean), and 19,755 objections to the Silsden scheme (Keighley).
Other MPs in vulnerable seats who may face unpopular local housing schemes include:
Mark Oaten MP (Liberal Democrat: Winchester) with four possible development totalling 14,500 homes (one site has some hospital building which will be redeveloped, but these are mostly newbuild);
David Heath (Liberal Democrat: Somerset and Frome), with a possible 1700 home development,
Angela Browning (Conservative: Tiverton and Honerton),with a possible 3000 home development.
Friends of the Earth housing campaigner Dr Simon Festing warned today
that
“These schemes are only the first of many, if the Government sticks to its damaging and unnecessary plan to allow more than 2 million new homes in Britain's precious remaining green spaces. I don't think that backbench Labour MPs have yet woken up to the tremendous damage this plan could do to their chances of re-election. When they do realise, I hope we will soon get back to the more realistic and greener targets proposed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Development. A Labour Government should be concentrating on making our towns and cities cleaner, greener and safer places to live, not planning to cover what's left of our countryside with new housing”
NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] FOE is hosting a major national conference: “ Halt Greenfield
Housing” on Saturday 17th January. The Conference is also supported
by protest group Alarm UK. For a press briefing or further details,
contact Dr Simon Festing on 020 7566 1670.
[2] Household projections by the Department of Environment published in 1995 suggested a need for 4.4 million new homes by the year 2016. The previous Conservative Government proposed a target that 60% of these should be provided from re-used land.Friends of the Earth supports the recommendations of the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Development, that at least 75% of the new homes should be on re-used land.
Mr Richard Caborn MP stated in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on 12 December 1997 that "the target for using previously developed land remains at 50 per cent".
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
