The debate about the green belt is hotting up – often described as the green noose around our cities, building in the green belt is being seen by some as the panacea to all our problems! The annual target is now up to 300,000 houses a year according to Vince Cable in his recent ITV interview.
But think again! More than half of the 61,000 ha of brownfield land in the UK is lying vacant, surely we should be developing this first? With most house builders squeezing 30 houses to the ha that means there’s enough space for 1.8 million new homes – that’s 15 years worth at current rates of construction or 6 years at the rate that Mr Cable thinks we now need.
Cable says that “Tough decisions about using green belt areas for new planned cities, such as garden cities, will also need to be taken in the future” – But with house prices stagnant and large areas of brownfield land lying vacant across much of the UK why do we need new garden cities in the green belt? Many of our small towns and particularity villages are crying out for new homes and new residents – pubs are closing, bus routes are being cut, schools are under threat from falling rolls, local businesses need local customers – the debate needs to be less London centric – much of the UK doesn’t have a green belt but does have a desperate need for new homes.
So how about modest extensions to all of the towns and villages in the UK? 20-30 affordable new homes on the edge of most of our villages – starting with those outside green belts – would be opposed by most ‘nimbys’ but would start to meet the desperate need we have for housing! Add in 10 plots for self builders and perhaps some live/work homes and suddenly there’s a sustainable solution that doesn’t involve concreting over the green belt! And it might encourage people to realise that there are some great places to live and work in the UK outside of south east!
….. we’re concerned about getting the balance right between profit, people and the planet. Share our values? Perhaps we should work together!