Object

Representation ID: 21605

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Ms Christine Pugh

I wish you to know that I strongly object to t e removal of any land from our green belt at this time and to the justification given by the council.

My reasons are as follows

1) Land can only be removed from green belt under exceptional circumstances. These are not
exceptional circumstances.

So you or your planning department have taken exceptional circumstances to mean unreliable targets
from government and almost certainly out of date assessments and then proposed a plan which,
according to Marco Longhi MP, will result in 1000 more homes than necessary being built.

Green belt legislation serves 5 purposes according to the National Planning Policy Framework, 3 of which are checking unrestricted sprawl, safeguarding the countryside from encroachment and assisting in urban regeneration by encouraging use of derelict and other urban land.

It would be reckless in extreme to remove more land from our green belt before government has had time to review its position and further up to date assessments of need and brownfield sites have been carried out.

2) Use of green belt flies in the face of the Government's other big idea of protecting and improving the natural environment.

3) There is concern in many quarters that inadequate consideration of use of, and incentives for, brownfield sites has given developers the upper hand, using their preferred easier options instead.

4) That the draft plan, which is both controversial and out of date, has lacked proper public scrutiny throughout the process so far with this current consultation being launched at an inappropriate time, apparently full of mistakes which had to be rectified during the consultation
and likewise a system for engaging with it which did not work properly and discriminated against many residents.

My evidence for the above

1) on the number of houses needed

2) Contrary to the Government's idea of protecting and improving the natural environment and access to it
Sacrificing 3% of our green belt for housing we do not need is a move in the opposite direction

3) inadequate use of brownfield sites

4) on the process

The evidence here is my personal experience and that of neighbours plus what I have read in the press. I heard about the plan from a neighbour who heard about it from the postman.

Although I oppose the use of all green belt, I am particularly incensed by the decision to include Land off Viewfield Crescent, which is more correctly called land in Cotwall End Valley. On that I definitely have more to say.