York’s Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader says a new national campaign to protect the countryside supports the approach his party has taken to controversial housing plans.

Last week the Lib Dems submitted their objection to Labour run City of York Council’s Draft Local Plan, which proposes building 16,000 houses on Green Belt land over the next 15 years. In recent months the Lib Dems have been leading the fight to protect York’s Green Belt, including organising a petition signed by nearly 2,500 local residents. The party has said that new housing should be focused on brownfield sites before the countryside surrounding York is developed.

Now a national ‘Save our Countryside’ charter launched by the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) has highlighted the threat of developing Green Belt land and called on councils to develop brownfield sites first. The CPRE has said that current policies mean the countryside is “being destroyed unnecessarily” and a ‘brownfield first’ approach should be adopted.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on City of York Council, commented:

“The CPRE’s charter supports what we have been saying locally: we need more affordable housing but without sacrificing our countryside. Development in York should focus on brownfield land before the Green Belt is touched. This approach recognises that once countryside is developed it can not be undeveloped and will instead be lost forever.

“Our response to Labour’s proposals shows that it is possible to supply housing to meet realistic growth predictions while adopting a ‘brownfield’ first policy. When there are sites such as derelict land or old industrial locations these should be brought back into use before Green Belt land is considered. It is also imperative that local residents are central to the process and their concerns are listened to.

“I have signed-up to the CPRE’s charter and would encourage others to do the same. We need to send a clear message that inappropriate housing development on countryside around York and elsewhere can not be allowed to happen.”

The CPRE’s (Campaign to Protect Rural England) charter to ‘Save our Countryside’ has three demands:
• Don’t sacrifice our countryside – previously developed brownfield sites should be re-used before the countryside is touched.
• A fair say for communities – a democratic planning system that gives local people a stronger voice.
• More housing in the right places – the country needs affordable homes but they must be sensitively located, with excellent environmental standards and high quality design.
For more information and to sign the charter go here: http://www.cpre.org.uk/ The charter has already been signed by 7,500 people in just a few weeks.