BROMSGROVE’s MP has accused the Government of failing to listen to the people of Bromsgrove over his Parliamentary petition to ‘save the green belt’.
Bradley Thomas presented the petition – signed by 5,900 people – on the floor of the House of Commons in December.
It demanded the Government justified the ‘flawed’ formula used to calculate the 85 per cent increase in Bromsgrove’s housing target and called for Birmingham, which had its target reduced, to take its fair share.
It demanded Bromsgrove’s 85 per cent increase and the Second City’s 31 per cent reduction both be reversed.
This, he said, would ensure the burden was shared in a fair and proportionate way and only allow new houses to be built when the accompanying infrastructure was provided.
Mr Thomas reiterated Bromsgrove District was 89 per cent green belt and 79 per cent rural while Birmingham’s target had 140 hectares of brownfield land that could be built on.
In responding to Mr Thomas’ petition, the Housing and Planning Minister has both refused to reduce Bromsgrove’s housing target and to reverse the decrease in Birmingham’s housing target.
Mr Thomas is continuing the fight and he and Bromsgrove District Council leader, Coun Karen May, will be meeting with the Housing and Planning Minister next month to once again make their case.
The MP said: “It’s quite clear that the Government’s talk of protecting the countryside is entirely hollow.
“The Housing Minister has emboldened housing developers to build on the green belt, and it seems there’s no way to stop him whilst this Government remains in power.
“We all except the need for new houses, but not on the scale the Government is imposing on Bromsgrove.
“And not when we’re clearly being punished to enable the Government to dramatically reduce Birmingham’s housing target where the need is more acute.”
He said the country’s housing policy should be pretty simple – ‘build on brownfield land first and provide communities with the required infrastructure before any houses are built’.
“That’s something I’m sure we can all get behind.
“Building on our precious green belt and on agricultural land erodes our rural way of life.
“Once the greenbelt’s gone, it’s gone.
“Not only, that it severely weakens our country’s food security and a time of global instability.”
He accused the Government of ‘failing to listen’ with regard to the ‘flawed formula’.
Visit bradleythomas.org.uk for further details.
