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National Save the Green Belt Rally Takes Place at Stevenage

18 Apr 1998

A mass walk and rally is taking place outside Stevenage today to protest against Government plans to allow massive housing schemes to be built in Britain's countryside.The walk passes through the Langley Valley, an area of greenbelt threatened by plans to build 10,000 new homes - the largest and most controversial greenfield development contemplated anywhere in the country.

The rally takes place at a time when the Government's policy on housebuilding is dogged by controversy, since Mr Prescott abandoned the 'predict and provide' approach.

A number of significant County Councils are challenging their housing targets:

• Hertfordshire last month asked the Secretary of State to reduce their housing target down from 65,000, so as to "remove the need for large scale greenfield development", and allow the West of Stevenage expansion to be eliminated.
• West Sussex has gained leave to challenge the Secretary of State soon in the High Court over his decision to impose 12,800 extra houses on the county.
• Hampshire is gearing up to significantly reduce its housing target in May from 56,000 to a potential figure of around 42,000, which would relieve pressure for greenfield housebuilding in the county, and may undermine the controversial Micheldever New Town proposal for 5,000 houses.

Regional authorities have also lined up to confront Mr Prescott.

• The South East regional authority (SERPLAN) will in early May formally consult on plans to cut its housing target by around 190,000 (from 1,103,000 in the household projections, to a proposed 914,000);
• The East Anglia regional authority (SCEALA) last month submitted advice to the Secretary of State calling for a housing target around 50,000 fewer (from 284,000 in the household projections, to a proposed 235,100);
• The South West regional authority (SWRPC) met in private yesterday (Friday 17th April) to look again at the housing target for the region, and will publish plans in June. The SWRPC withdrew its original draft strategy last month following Mr Prescott's statement on housing policy. The South West faces a target of 545,000,of which 66 per cent is due to in-migration - in a region with scarce recycled land available.

And in a further development, last month the High Court quashed a decision by Mr Prescott to give the go-ahead for a controversial development of over 100 houses on a greenfield site at Peacehaven in East Sussex. The case was brought by Lewes District Council.

Dr Simon Festing, Housing Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:

"Local authorities are set to rebel against Government policies to force huge numbers of houses to be built in the countryside. These plans are also unpopular with the public who do not want to see their precious countryside destroyed. Mr Prescott must look again at the housebuilding targets, and keep the Green Belt green."

Today's march and rally has been organised by Friends of the Earth, the Campaign Against Stevenage Expansion (CASE), and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

Details of the rally and a briefing paper are available from the Press Office

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