Latest news with #greenBelt
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's planning reforms will cover Britain in 'soulless settlements' of ugly houses, Tories warn as Starmer vows to use AI to speed up building
Labour 's vow to massively speed and scale up housebuilding will result in 'soulless settlements' sprawling across the countryside, a senior Tory warns today. Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake warned that measures being championed by Angela Rayner would lead to increased urban sprawl of concrete houses. He took aim at plans to use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill - which is being debated today and tomorrow in Parliament - to reclassify some of the green belt as lower-quality 'grey belt' land suitable for development. Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, is fronting the Government's plans for 1.5 million new homes by 2029. Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Hollinrake said the bill is 'blatantly encouraging urban sprawl, increasing housing targets for councils outside of towns and cities whilst easing targets for cities like London '. He said: 'This will just create new, soulless settlements, take away our green belt, and make residents feel trapped and isolated hours away from their friends, work, and the amenities they need.' It came as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used a speech to vow to use AI to speed up the planning system. He told London tech Week that a system called Extract 'takes old, handwritten planning documents and puts them into digital form in seconds', increasing the rate at which they are processed twentyfold. 'It's a huge productivity boost and we want to roll that out,' the PM added. 'It doesn't just show that the government can innovate, it also means faster planning decisions, which I think comes as a relief to many people in this room and beyond—both in AI and in British business more broadly. 'And of course, it's money-saved for councils, so they can spend their money on other things. It turns into more growth and more opportunity.' However Mr Hollinrake argued that rather than building on the green belt, Labour should be 'gently densifying our existing towns and cities to resurrect lost communities'. 'This requires beautiful new homes and developments that bring nature and the life it brings back into the hearts of our towns and cities,' he wrote. 'Look at some of the most beautiful parts of our great cities, like Marylebone in London, with mid-rise, six-storey mansion blocks. No one would complain if this beautiful architecture were repeated elsewhere. 'But Labour showed it doesn't care for creating beautiful, connected communities when they shut the Office for Place. 'With Nicholas Boys Smith at the helm, it made sure new developments focused on building beautiful, green and connected communities. 'Without the Office for Place, there is nothing protecting communities from the bland, cookie-cutter houses that foster isolation. 'One and a half million new homes is an admirable ambition, but it means nothing if you don't build the communities and homes people actually want.' Last month Ms Rayner rejected claimed that Labour will be 'bulldozing over the greenbelt' or compromising on protections for nature to build homes faster. The Deputy Prime Minister said that proposals to give a boost to smaller developers, which will ease the requirements for them to pay to boost nature habitats, were 'pragmatism' and that the Government will be able to 'protect nature at the same time'. The Government has set out proposals to cut red tape and for planning decisions to be shifted away from councillors and towards expert officers as part of efforts to meet Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2029-30. Trained planning officers rather than committees of elected councillors will be responsible for deciding on developments of up to nine homes under the plans, as well as most minor and technical applications. The Government is considering 'streamlining' requirements on biodiversity net gain including the option of a full exemption for those minor developments. Sites with 10 to 49 homes would fall in a new category for medium-sized developments with fewer costs, simplified biodiversity net gain rules and an exemption from the building safety levy.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Rayner housing blitz will flood Britain with ‘soulless settlements', Tories say
Labour will create 'soulless settlements' and encourage urban sprawl with its plans to overhaul the planning system, the shadow housing minister has said. Kevin Hollinrake said that Angela Rayner's plans will strip local residents of power over their own communities, and risks the proliferation of ugly 'cookie-cutter homes'. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which returns to the Commons this week, aims to speed up planning decisions in part by stripping local authorities of some decision-making powers. Labour plans to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of this Parliament, which they say will be possible in part with construction on poor-quality green belt, dubbed 'grey belt'. The Government has also reintroduced mandatory housing targets, totalling 370,000 homes a year, for local authorities. The Conservatives claim that the new legislation lacks sufficient protections for the character of England's smaller towns and villages, which could end up merging into the areas with the new settlements. 'Must build homes people want' Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Hollinrake said that the Bill 'starts by blatantly encouraging urban sprawl, increasing housing targets for councils outside of towns and cities whilst easing targets for cities like London'. He said: 'This will just create new, soulless settlements, take away our green belt, and make residents feel trapped and isolated hours away from their friends, work, and the amenities they need.' The shadow housing secretary also pointed to the Government scrapping the Office for Place, which was founded to devise how to make attractive and well-designed housing. 'Without the Office for Place, there is nothing protecting communities from the bland, cookie-cutter houses that foster isolation. 'One and a half million new homes is an admirable ambition, but it means nothing if you don't build the communities and homes people actually want.' 'We are taking decisive action' The Tories have tabled an amendment designed to enshrine in law the preservation of the historic character of historic villages and prevent them from merging with other settlements. The legislation will also see more powers given to Natural England, a quango, which will be tasked with drawing up 'environmental delivery plans' for new proposed developments. But Mr Hollinrake said that the organisation is 'grossly underprepared for such a nationally significant mission' and risks 'wasting taxpayers' money in the process'. A Government spokesman said: 'We completely reject these claims, which simply do not acknowledge the scale of the housing crisis [we] inherited. 'Through our Planning and Infrastructure Bill, along with our wider reforms, we are taking decisive action to speed up every stage of the planning process and deliver the homes and infrastructure we need. 'The Bill creates a win-win for nature recovery and development, including a new Nature Restoration Fund, which unblocks building by funding large scale protection of precious habitats and species.' Labour isn't creating greener, cleaner communities you're proud to be a part of – Conservatives are by Kevin Hollinrake Every person in Britain deserves a place they can call home. A community they can be proud to return to after a hard day's work. One that is safe, connected and prosperous, embodying the green and pleasant land that our nation should stand for. Without this, we cease to be a united community and a United Kingdom. We have forgotten this. Our communities have never been more divided. Never felt more hopeless and isolated. And people are crying out for change. We cannot afford to fail them. Labour doesn't understand this. And, as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill returns to Parliament, it clear to see. In its current state, the Bill will encourage isolation and break up communities. It won't connect or empower people. It won't help nature flourish or build beautiful houses that people are proud to call home. It starts by blatantly encouraging urban sprawl, increasing housing targets for councils outside of towns and cities whilst easing targets for cities like London. This will just create new, soulless settlements, take away our green belt, and make residents feel trapped and isolated hours away from their friends, work, and the amenities they need. 'Labour doesn't care for creating beautiful communities' Instead, we should be gently densifying our existing towns and cities to resurrect lost communities. This requires beautiful new homes and developments that bring nature and the life it brings back into the hearts of our towns and cities. Look at some of the most beautiful parts of our great cities, like Marylebone in London, with mid-rise, six-storey mansion blocks. No one would complain if this beautiful architecture were repeated elsewhere. But Labour showed it doesn't care for creating beautiful, connected communities when they shut the Office for Place. With Nicholas Boys Smith at the helm, it made sure new developments focused on building beautiful, green and connected communities. Without the Office for Place, there is nothing protecting communities from the bland, cookie-cutter houses that foster isolation. One and a half million new homes is an admirable ambition, but it means nothing if you don't build the communities and homes people actually want. Building beautiful also means reviving nature within communities, and that starts by empowering local residents. They know what they need, not mandarins in Whitehall. But once again, Labour doesn't understand how to revive lost communities. For generations, Labour has wanted weak communities dependent on the state, and this continues today. They are stripping local communities of autonomy by backtracking on their promise to slash quangos and putting taxpayers' money and the responsibility of local nature in the hands of Natural England. Natural England is grossly underprepared for such a nationally significant mission. And we have seen too many times centrally controlled quangos struggle with the basics whilst wasting taxpayers' money in the process. 'Conservative MPs are taking action' To its credit, at least Labour's Bill will bring some good news for smaller house builders. Cutting and simplifying planning and biodiversity red tape will make it much easier for them to compete with the volume house builders. That is why Conservative MPs are taking action, amending this Bill to ensure Britain gets the empowered, connected and beautiful communities you deserve. Whether it is David Simmonds – my fellow shadow minister for housing, communities and local government – enshrining the right to preserve the special character of historic villages and preventing them from merging with other towns. Or encouraging more sustainable drainage so we have cleaner rivers and communities. Or Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon, and her amendment to end ridiculous red tape on creating ponds, empowering local communities to breathe life into local nature whilst protecting their areas from drought and flooding. Or Aphra Brandreth – a former councillor and now MP for Chester South and Eddisbury – whose amendment will make it easier for local communities to plant more trees, creating a greener, more pleasant environment. That is just to mention a few, because my colleagues have been working tirelessly to hold Labour to account. We rightly lost the last election because we failed to listen to the British people and deliver on their priorities. There is a long road to regaining your trust – we know that. But in opposition, we are taking the fight to Labour and delivering for Britain. We are listening. And with our amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, we will deliver a more connected, prosperous and greener country that you can once again feel proud to be part of.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cambridge sewage plant objectors drop judicial review plan
Campaigners opposed to the relocation of a sewage treatment works on green belt land near a village have dropped their plans for a judicial review of the Water has permission to replace its current Cambridge facility, near Milton, with a new plant on land known as Honey Hill, close to government approved the new Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant, despite the examining authority recommending that consent should be Save Honey Hill group planned to fight the decision in court but has now said its legal team "concluded that there is little point in pursuing a judicial review". The treatment works are being moved to make way for new homes in the north-east of Cambridge.A decision on whether it could be moved was delayed twice but approved last month. While the campaign group was raising funds for the judicial review, it has now dropped those plans.A statement from the Save Honey Hill group said its legal team had sent a pre-action letter to the government, but following receipt of the secretary of state's response, concluded pursuing the review would incur costs but "might lead to a negligible outcome".It stated: "Our KC (King's Counsel) noted that the strength of the secretary of state's response demonstrated that his legal team had likely anticipated the grounds on which we might launch a JR (judicial review) early on and that his DCO (development consent order) decision letter was crafted so as to minimise the risk of a successful challenge."The group said it would continue to engage with Anglian Water, parish councils and other stakeholders and "do our best to ensure that mitigating the detrimental effects of this project on our communities is at the forefront of their minds at all times". Land at the current plant site near Milton is set to be redeveloped as part of the North East Cambridge development, which is proposed to include about 8,000 new homes and new commercial government has committed £277m to build the new sewage works and the overall cost has been estimated at £400m. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Rayner gives go-ahead to ‘monstrous' green belt tech blitz
Angela Rayner has overruled local officials to approve a 'monstrous' £1bn data centre on the home counties green belt. The Housing Secretary has backed plans for a sprawling 84,000 sq metre development in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, arguing there was a 'clear and pressing need' for data centres, which the Government in September last year designated as critical national infrastructure. Scores of residents had fiercely opposed the plans, with one blasting the project as a 'monstrous development' that 'would constitute an environmental and social crime', citing 'gross misuse' of prime green belt land. Concerns were also raised that the centre would produce a 'monotonous hum' heard 24 hours a day, pose a risk to water and energy supply, and have negative impacts on wildlife and property values. Officials in Ms Rayner's department admitted that the project would harm views from heritage thatched cottages at the historic Ovaltine dairy farm nearby but justified this by saying the properties were not listed. A listed 15th century tithe barn and 17th century farmhouse nearby will also be affected, although civil servants deemed the damage 'less than substantial'. It is the second major data centre on Hertfordshire's green belt to gain approval in recent months. Developers gained consent to build Europe's biggest data centre on nearby Potter's Bar in January. Chris Berry, of CPRE Hertfordshire, the countryside charity, said the Abbots Langley data centre was 'part of the onslaught on the countryside at the moment'. Mr Berry said: 'It's unrelenting. The green belt in south Hertfordshire is really in trouble. We support the right development in the right place, but there is a balance issue here. Every planning application we've received since Christmas refers to sites as 'grey belt' and that's just nuts. 'No green belt is safe any more. The pendulum has swung too far the other way, it has completely swung … from any sort of reasonable consideration of quality of landscape and countryside.' Three Rivers district council had unanimously voted to refuse consent for the Abbots Langley last year, but the Housing Secretary overturned that decision on Monday after its developers lodged an appeal. Stephen Giles-Medhurst, the Lib Dem county councillor for Abbots Langley, said he was 'extremely disappointed' by the decision, which he called 'upsetting'. As part of its proposals, the developer has promised to create a landscaped country park. However, Mr Giles-Medhurst said: 'There is little gain for the village apart from an extra country park and some low-level employment, but it means putting up with mega warehouse-type buildings across our countryside green belt. '[The] concern is whether this development will be used as a precedent for other developments to come forward and effectively merge the village [with neighbouring villages]. That fundamentally undermines the purpose of the green belt. We will resist any such further development.' Ian Campbell, Conservative district councillor for Abbots Langley & Bedmond, said: 'This is disastrous news for the whole green belt, and no village is safe.' Oliver Cooper, leader of Three Rivers district council Conservatives, said: 'To explicitly say that villages don't get green belt protections – and that motorways offer the same breathing space between communities that fields do – makes no sense. Parliament must urgently debate and reverse this madcap rule.' A spokesman for Greystoke Land, the site's developer, said: 'Abbots Langley Data Centre will attract more than £1bn of investment and help to secure thousands of digital jobs across the country. 'The Government's positive approach to building data centres is a significant step forward for the UK's economic growth and digital leadership.'
