Chris and Shadow Environment Secretary speak to




local campaigners in their fight to save local greenbelt

Chris and the Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Peter Ainsworth MP, visited Kingswood to speak at a meeting of the Save Our Green Spaces group at Warmley Community Centre, to talk about saving the local greenbelt.

Chris said: "They have run a fantastic campaign opposing the current proposals to build on the greenbelt and I hope that all their hard work pays off.

We are all now anxiously waiting for Hazel Blears’ decision on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy next year. I hope that she listens to the many voices and views of local residents and campaign groups such as Save Our Green Spaces. But whatever her decision, local residents can be sure that there will be another opportunity to decide the fate of our greenbelt — at the next general election.

There is now a clear choice between Conservatives and this current government, who have created the current bureaucratic structure that is now threatening our greenbelts. We want to stop this.

Unlike Labour and its MPs who wish to press on with the very same Regional Spatial Strategy that threatens to build on the greenbelt, Conservatives have pledged to scrap regional planning and the unelected regional assemblies, which will include changing the law to scrap the Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Planning Bodies. Unlike Labour and its MPs, we will return powers to decide where houses are built to elected local councils. And even if the current strategies have already been implemented, we will allow councils to revise their local plans to undo the changes that the Regional Spatial Strategy forced on them. This will allow local communities to protect their local environment, and decide themselves the most appropriate level of development for their area. It is not too late to change what is taking place under this government. The next election will decide the future of the greenbelt. "



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