MP Mike Amesbury fears Cheshire countryside is under threat from pro-developer Government

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury is warning the Cheshire countryside is under threat from Government proposals.

The Times reports Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick last week admitted there would need to be development on protected Green Belt land in a private video call with Tory MPs and donors.

Mike, who is Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning, has been challenging the Government’s Planning for the Future White Paper, which he has dubbed ‘a developers’ charter’.

He said: “Well, the cat is out of the bag. In an unguarded moment, the Housing Secretary has claimed more homes will have to be built on Green Belt land.  

“Developers, who last year donated £11m to the Conservative Party, prefer virgin land in the countryside because it is cheaper to build out and there’s more profit to be made. 

“But the focus should always be to look at previously developed land first. And developers are sitting on millions of square feet of these brownfield sites, often with planning permission in place - land banking, as they wait for land values to soar.

“A Labour Government would enshrine the ‘use it or lose it’ principle in law.”

CPRE, the countryside charity, picked up on Mr Jenrick’s comments and highlighted the number of homes being built on the Green Belt is already rising.

Its annual report, State of the Green Belt 2021, shows 257,944 homes are proposed for land removed from the green belt, nearly five times as many as in 2013.

Mike added: “The Woodland Trust has likewise expressed concerns about the White Paper because the Government pay scant regard to the preservation and enhancement of our woodlands.

“Civic Voice and the CPRE are also worried about the erosion of democracy, including restricting the voice of residents and councillors during the planning process.”

Pictured - Weaver Vale Labour MP Mike Amesbury in Frodsham.