Letter: Sensitive? Proportionate? Tory Empty Words, False Promises on the Green Belt

Published on: 2 Apr, 2021
Updated on: 2 Apr, 2021

Robert Jenrick’s letter to the Sunday Times, March 28, 2021

From: Colin Cross

R4GV councillor for Lovelace

Further to green belt blandishments from Sir Paul Beresford and Julie Iles, perhaps it is time they reviewed their continued membership and support of the Tory Party, following the attached article in The Sunday Times?

The Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, concludes that, “where possible we do not build on the green belt or protected places, where we do build on green fields, we are making sure that we are enhancing the natural environment…….”

The Housing Department further commented, “where there is home building in more rural areas, it needs to be sensitive and proportionate, and protect the local environment”

CPRE seized on these comments by stating the green belt homes were already rising and 257,944 homes are proposed for land removed from the green belt by the Tories. That almost six times as many as in 2013.

So the Conservative defence is that it’s okay to rape our countryside more and more every year as long as we enhance the natural environment and do so in a “sensitive and proportionate” way.

Perhaps they can explain how they are going to achieve this in Lovelace Ward where there are advanced plans for 2,600+ new homes on two major sites, although the whole ward at present has only 1,100 homes across its three villages. “Sensitive”? “Proportionate”? Empty words, false promises, the Tories enhance nothing other than their own wellbeing.

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