I am exceptionally fond of the British and Cornish
countryside. While it is up to local authorities to determine the development
of new homes through local plans, I would like to reassure you that the
Government is acting to protect the Green Belt from inappropriate development.
The Housing White Paper, published earlier this year,
emphasised the Government's continued commitment to protecting the Green Belt.
Ministers want to amend and add to national policy to make it clear that: Green
Belt boundaries should only be amended in exceptional circumstances, when local
authorities can demonstrate they have fully examined all other reasonable options
for meeting their identified housing requirements; and where land is removed
from the Green Belt, local policies should require the impact to be offset.
Planning policy also guarantees strong protection for
National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special
Scientific Interest. The Green Belt also enjoys protection against erosion from
caravan and traveller sites. The Government also has an ambitious programme to
bring brownfield land back into use in England and is working closely with
local authorities to drive this forward. This will ensure that development is
prioritised on brownfield sites rather than at the expense of our countryside.
