Chris Skidmore MP has tabled an Early Day Motion
(EDM) in Parliament to secure Green Belt protection
9th June 2010
Chris Skidmore, the new MP for Kingswood, has tabled a motion in Parliament (EDM 168) against the previous government's Regional Spatial Strategies, noting that they “removed Green Belt protection” and setting out how the Planning Inspectorate must take notice of the new Government's intention to abolish the RSS “in any planning decisions they are undertaking”. Chris' motion also calls for legislation to abolish regional housing targets to be abolished “outright as quickly as possible”.
Currently there are several applications in Kingswood, including at Cossham Street, Mangotsfield and Williams Close in Longwell Green, where Green Belt land remains under threat due to applications submitted under the previous government's rules.
Chris is hoping that as many MPs as possible will be signing the motion in order to ensure that the Regional Spatial Strategy is abolished as soon as possible so that Green Belt land can be preserved for generations to come. Chris has also written to the Planning Inspectorate, who has subsequently confirmed that they will regard the current Government's intentions as “emerging policy” - an important concession with the application at Mangotsfield about to be heard at appeal on 20th July.
Chris said, “It’s vitally important that I raise this issue in Parliament, to ensure that our Green Belt land in protected and preserved. Only once the previous government's Regional Spatial Strategy is buried can we be sure that Green Belt will be protected. I will continue to press ministers to ensure that legislation is brought forward immediately, and this is what my motion aims to do. I hope MPs of all parties will feel able to sign up to it.”
