24/12/11 Gravesham Green Belt Under Threat - CPRE Kent

CPRE Protect Kent has condemned Gravesham Borough Council for its proposals to target land protected by the Green Belt for development when large areas of brownfield land in Gravesend and Northfleet stand empty and derelict.

In its consultation on the future planning strategy for the Borough to 2031, which closed on 22 December, the Borough Council propose to earmark land for nearly 1,000 new homes on land currently protected by the Green Belt.  Despite there being acres of derelict land in the Borough the Council has slashed the number of homes that will be built on these sites, because it says they are unviable in the current economic climate.  Instead, the Council says that the house builders have told them that it is greenfield sites in the villages that they want to develop, so they have dutifully obliged and have identified 15 potential greenfield sites.  All but two of these would see significant changes to the boundary of the Green Belt.

Richard Knox-Johnston, Chairman of CPRE Protect Kent said: “We are appalled that Gravesham Borough Council has launched this attack on the Green Belt when there are such large amounts of derelict and unused land in the urban area.  This is particularly concerning when Government Ministers have gone out of their way to stress the need to protect the Green Belt and to give priority to brownfield sites.”

More Kent news, Kent news updates free to your mailbox with the Kent Review.

© www.yourcounty.co.uk