The autumn Budget has prompted speculation about a change to green belt policy. But with much of the green belt in constituencies where Tory MPs dominate, will they risk upsetting core voters?
Chancellor Philip Hammond is reportedly keen to allow building on the green belt, reclassifying parts of the countryside to help more young people get on the housing ladder. The land would be used as part of a deal to allow extra borrowing to fund housebuilding.
Jacob Rees-Mogg MP has also come out in favour. He said: “Reforming the planning system is a prerequisite to providing more housing. A review of the green belt may need to be a part of this.”
However, with much of the green belt in Conservative constituencies, it is a contentious issue and the green belt is seen as completely off-limits.
EG rounds up the key green belt issues in the constituencies of the senior politicians with the power to influence what goes in the autumn Budget:
Theresa May, prime minister, MP for Maidenhead
Although May is said to be against relaxation of planning rules and green belt development, Maidenhead Council is promoting a 2,000-home scheme on a green-belt golf course site within her constituency. Savills is marketing the site to potential development partners.
Philip Hammond, chancellor, MP for Runnymede and Weybridge
Recent press cuttings have said Hammond, cautious in nature and wanting to cut the deficit as a main priority, would “tear up Britain’s green belt land as he looks for cost-free measures to address Britain’s housing crisis”.
Back in July, The Times reported the chancellor could make millions if green belt land he owned got permission for new homes.
The newspaper reported that the chancellor purchased three acres of greenbelt adjacent to his family home in Surrey from Martin Grant Homes for £100,000, uncovered in an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches.
Land Registry documents reveal that Hammond has an “option” agreement allowing the housebuilder to buy the chancellor’s land back in the future and and share any uplift in the value of the land. That uplift is said to be worth more than £3m with planning permission, with Hammond entitled to half of that amount.
Sajid Javid, communities and local government secretary, MP for Bromsgrove
Earlier this year, Javid enraged fellow Conservative Andrew Mitchell for supporting the development of 6,000 new homes in Mitchell’s Sutton Coldfield constituency. Both are overspill areas of the greater Birmingham conurbation, and highlight the divergence of opinion and difficulty in deciding which local authorities could be burdened with new housing.
Javid’s role as head of the department for Communities and Local Government means he is at the forefront of many decisions like this, both at local plan and inquiry stages.
Alok Sharma, housing and planning minister, MP for Reading West
The recently appointed minister has a rather low profile, especially outside the industry. He has kept in line with government policy, recently stating in the House of Commons: “We are committed to retaining the current green belt protections. There may be exceptional circumstances in which a local authority chooses to amend its green belt, but it has to take its local community with it.”
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