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Search the Public Notice PortalBROMSGROVE'S MP has criticised the Government’s latest planning reforms.
Bradley Thomas, who represents Bromsgrove and the Villages, said the updated planning framework amounts to a 'power grab' that threatens greenbelt land and undermines local decision-making.
His comments follow the Government’s announcement on August 17 of a default 'yes' to housing developments within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations, under the new National Planning Policy Framework.
Mr Thomas said: "This is the latest power grab from a Government that now wants to overrule local councils and force development in the wrong places.
"The Government’s planning policy is just wrong.
"They’ve whacked up Bromsgrove and the Villages’ housing target by a staggering 85 per cent, yet reduced Birmingham’s by 31 per cent.
"Every decision they make further exposes our greenbelt and countryside even further to unwanted and inappropriate development.
"There’s a better way forward with my common-sense housebuilding policy which is reverse the 85 per cent increase in our housebuilding target, build on brownfield first, bring empty homes back into use and to provide communities with the infrastructure they need before any houses are built."
He has a petition calling for a 'brownfield first' approach, demanding that the Government prioritise development on previously used land before considering greenbelt sites.
Mr Thomas is also calling for a national strategy to bring empty homes back into use and ensure infrastructure is in place before any new housing is approved.
Bromsgrove District is 89 per cent greenbelt and 79 per cent rural.
The MP said that despite this, the Government has raised Bromsgrove’s housing target by 85 per cent while cutting Birmingham’s by 31 per cent, even though the city has at least 140 hectares of brownfield land available for development.
According to the CPRE’s State of Brownfield 2025 report, England has enough brownfield capacity for at least 1.41 million homes, with 55 per cent of those sites already having full or in-principle planning permission.
Mr Thomas’ petition can be signed at www.bradleythomas.org.uk/campaigns/build-brownfield-first-and-bring-empty-homes-back-use.
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