Could houses be built on Buckinghamshire's Green Belt?

In his opinion piece for the Bucks Free Press, the leader of the council, Martin Tett, revealed that the Government’s pledge to create ‘at least 370,000 homes every year’, will ‘urbanise rural Buckinghamshire’, and that whilst the houses are in demand due to the ‘rapidly rising population’, the proposals should be ‘locally lead after consultation with local people.’

The leader of Buckinghamshire Council, Martin Tett (Image: Buckinghamshire Council)

A segment from his piece reads: “The new Government is proposing big changes in planning law that will result in a transformation of the rural and semi-rural Buckinghamshire we know into a far more urban one, with much of our countryside lost forever.

“Huge housing targets to meet, vast solar farms, a mega prison, numerous data centres and the prospect of a large new town on top.

“How much will be left of rural Buckinghamshire?

“Of course, with a rapidly rising population, we will need new housing, but this should be a local plan after consultation with local people.

“The government is reneging on its manifesto commitment to build 300,000 houses annually by increasing that to at least 370,000 every year.

“They are also proposing a new allocation system that will put the majority of these houses in green field and Green Belt sites in areas like Buckinghamshire.  

“The Conservative Government’s methodology which allowed for flexibility due to constraints such as the Green Belt and Chilterns AONB will be swept away.

“The reintroduced need for a five-year supply of building land will allow builders to effectively determine where they build. not local people.”

His concerns have been echoed by two local councillors, who also believe that the pledge might do more harm than good in the county

Conservative Councillor for Chalfont St Giles, Carl Jackson, said: “Martin Tett is right to sound the alarm about Labour's plans to change planning rules.

Conservative Cllr, Carl Jackson for Chalfont St Giles (Image: X)

“The proposals will make it easier to build on Buckinghamshire's green belt, easier to build on local farmland, and easier for neighbouring councils to use Buckinghamshire's green spaces to hit their own housing quotas.

"The residents and I represent support a 'brownfield-first' approach to development, but buried in the small print of Labour's plans is the removal of the requirement to prioritise brownfield sites for new housing.

“Why would the Government want to bulldoze green fields before making use of empty sites available in towns and cities?

"These plans are a serious threat to our environment, to biodiversity, and to the character of our towns and villages. 

“I will fight them all the way."

Conservative Councillor for Amersham & Chesham Bois, Graham Harris, added: “I wouldn’t be surprised if campaigns were started up.

Conservative Cllr, Graham Harris for Amersham & Chesham Bois (Image: Buckinghamshire Council)

“This does concern me as there is a huge and strong local feeling about preserving the Green Belt.

“The south of the county is very vulnerable to the Government’s proposal to create land on Green Belt spaces, and I’m concerned that these decisions could be taken out of the local council’s hands."