I was delighted last week to hear that our campaign to protect the Green Belt on Brittains Lane in Sevenoaks had been successful.
As some of you may know, Croudace Homes Ltd, sought to build 70 homes on the land, which separates Sevenoaks from Riverhead. Despite being refused planning permission by the Conservative led Sevenoaks District Council, Croudace decided to appeal the decision, which last week we found out has now been rejected by the Planning Inspector.
This is a superb result and I know the news will come as a huge relief to the local community.
I was proud to have played my role in opposing the development and a huge thank you to the Planning Inspector, Sevenoaks District Council, former Conservative district councillors Andrew Eyre and Avril Hunter and the Brittains Lane Association of residents who raised vital funds to help oppose the proposal.
Whilst the Sevenoaks District Council’s Local Plan continues to progress, I am pleased that the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill currently going through Parliament, and the related consultation on the updating of the National Planning Policy Framework, means we should see less pressure on our area for housing numbers, as more attention is paid to the geographical green belt constraints of the area. This is something I have called for in many debates in Westminster since becoming your MP, as it is vital, we are not completely blind to the local geographical circumstance’s communities – like Sevenoaks – finds ourselves in.
I know local Liberal Democrats have been trying to make political capital out of the Local Plan process and have been seeking to scare people into believing we no longer have Green Belt protections. However, the result last week shows this is untrue.
So, for any avoidance for doubt, let me be clear; the Green Belt must be protected. And if we all work together as a community, we can defend our precious green spaces from unwanted development. And win.
