My views on the green belt are well known; green belt land is rightly protected, and if a speculative planning application is put in for the green belt, the answer should be no.
Earlier this year we had one such application in Brittains Lane and having met with Sevenoaks District councillors Avril Hunter and Andrew Eyre, I was pleased our concerns were heard, and the application rejected by Sevenoaks District Council.
However, such planning applications understandably cause a huge amount of stress and concern to local residents, and sadly we are now facing a similar application within the Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty land adjacent to Ashgrove Road, where an outline planning application for 50 homes has been made. Following many letters from worried residents I last week met again with Cllr Hunter and Cllr Eyre to visit the site for myself. The location is simply not appropriate for housing and with nearly 350 objections (and counting) from residents, it is clear there is no local community support for such development.
While planning decisions are made by Sevenoaks District Council, I do not support development on the green belt without local consent, and I will be making sure the views of local residents who have written to me are heard.
Finally, last week I was honoured to be appointed by HM The King to serve in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Government as a Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions. However, please be rest assured that I will of course continue to work tirelessly on behalf of all my constituents in Sevenoaks and Swanley. Together we can continue to make our community an even better place to live.
