CHRIS SKIDMORE MP RAISES THREAT TO KINGSWOOD GREENBELT IN PARLIAMENT

28th June 2010

New MP for Kingswood, Chris Skidmore, has raised in Parliament the threat to the Kingswood Green Belt posed by the previous government's Regional Spatial Strategy.

Chris told Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, that "In Kingswood, our much treasured green belt has been threatened by the previous Government’s disastrous regional spatial strategy and the plan to build 10,000 houses on it."

Chris asked the Secretary of State whether she agreed that "the urgent abolition of the RSS and returning powers to build houses to local communities will help to protect our green belts and defend biodiversity."

Ms Spelman replied that although this was a matter for the Secretary for Communities and Local Government, she said she was "well aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government intends to abolish the regional spatial strategy and to protect and maintain the Green Belt, as my hon. Friend would like."

Chris, who is pressing the new government for the Regional Spatial Strategy to be abolished as soon as possible in order to prevent speculative planning applications on local Green Belt such as at Barry Road, Oldland Common, Cossham Street, Mangotsfield, and Williams Close, Longwell Green, said: "I thought it was important to raise this important issue in Parliament, as protecting the local Kingswood Green Belt is such a vital concern for my constituents and myself. The previous government's Regional Spatial Strategy cannot be abolished soon enough - and I look forward to the day when our Green Belt can finally be protected and preserved for the use of the local community.”

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