Peter Fortune MP today objected to the new Labour government's plans to quadruple the London Borough of Bromley's housing target and weaken Green Belt protections.
Labour's proposals would increase the borough's annual target from 774 in the London Plan to 2,804. If they couldn't meet housing targets, local authorities would also be forced to review and release Green Belt land, immediately impacting Bromley.
In a joint letter with Orpington MP Gareth Bacon, Peter warned: "Over ten years, the housing target will be the equivalent of building over three new Bromley towns covering an area the size of 1,170 football pitches. There simply isn't Brownfield or 'Grey Belt' land available to do this without building on the Green Belt.
"It's a myth that Green Belt land in London is well-connected, near local amenities, and has sufficient infrastructure. The vast majority of Green Belt land in the constituencies we are proud to represent is only reachable by small country lanes.
"We want to see more homes built to house a new generation. But this is a recipe for unsustainable, unpopular and undeliverable urban sprawl. Removing consideration for local character when determining housing needs and abandoning the previous government's plans to build beautiful will further undermine public support for these changes.
"And instead of encouraging developers to bring forward plans to density our communities gently, they will be a race to sprawl."
