‘The Conservative commitment to scrap unrealistic top-down housing targets makes sense, as does their strong support for the Green Belt. But the challenge to density guidelines [1] is alarming. Relaxation of these guidelines would risk unleashing a wave of development in the very Green Belts and countryside the Conservatives are pledged to protect.’

This was the response of Kate Gordon, Senior Planner at CPRE [2], to today’s publication by the Conservative Party of their Green Paper on housing policy, Strong Foundations. [3]

The paper advocates a community-led approach to housing development. Its proposals to make better use of public sector land and buildings, and offer incentives for affordable housing, are welcome.

But questions remain about how effectively alliances of local councils will deliver housing if regional decision-making is scrapped, and about how the proposed Local Housing Trusts will work.

Kate Gordon continued:

‘It is right to empower local communities, but this must be within a framework that gives priority to urban regeneration and safeguarding our green spaces. Government needs to give a strong lead to ensure that this happens.

‘And the proposal to reverse the classification of gardens as brownfield land is worrying. We sympathise with the case for protecting back gardens, but councils already have powers to do this. Encouraging them to use these powers makes more sense than changing the rules and introducing a new layer of bureaucracy.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. Page 9 of Strong Foundations refers to ‘rigid Whitehall guidelines on housing density – forcing new developments to cram in as many buildings as possible’.

2. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

3. Strong Foundations – Building Homes & Communities can be downloaded here