Archived press release

Labour marginal seats threatened if Government allows greenfield housing schemes

16 January 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".

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust