Archived press release

Foe welcomes blair rethink on new housing

30 November 1999

Commenting on reports that Tony Blair has ordered a review of plans to build 1.1 million new homes in the South East by 2016 [1], Tony Bosworth, Friends of the Earth's Housing Campaigner,said:

“Mr Blair's rethink is very welcome news. Building 1.1 million new homes in the South East would cause huge environmental damage through loss of greenfields, and increased traffic, congestion and pollution. We hope the review leads to a saner and more sustainable future not just for the South East, but for the whole of the country”.

Mr Blair is reported to be concerned about the impact of the decision and its long-running consequences on Labour marginal seats in the South East. Friends of the Earth revealed on November 3rd that 19 of Labour's most marginal seats are in the South East, and could be under threat if the housebuilding plans go ahead [2].

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The Panel Report of the Public Examination into the SERPLAN draft regional planning guidance for the South East, published 8th October, recommended that councils in the region outside London should plan for 1,098,500 new homes between 1996 and 2016, with 50% of them on brownfield sites. SERPLAN had recommended that councils should build around 700,000 new homes over the same period, with 60% on brownfield sites.

The Government is now considering the Panel report, and will be publishing new proposals for final public consultation in the New Year.

[2] The 19 seats are Braintree (Alan Hurst MP), Brighton Kemptown (Desmond Turner MP), Castle Point (Christine Butler MP), Chatham & Aylesford (Jonathan Shaw MP), Dartford (Howard Stoate MP), Gillingham (Paul Clark MP), Gravesham (Chris Pond MP), Harwich (Ivan Henderson MP), Hastings & Rye (Michael Foster MP), Hove(Ivor Caplin MP), Medway (Bob Marshall-Andrews MP), Milton Keynes North East (Brian White MP), Portsmouth North (Sid Rapson MP), Reading East (Jane Griffiths MP), Reading West (Martin Salter MP), Sittingbourne &Sheppey (Derek Wyatt MP), St Albans (Kerry Pollard MP), Thanet South (Stephen Ladyman MP) and Watford(Clare Ward MP)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust