Most of Tandridge is Green Belt land, so yesterday's annoucement by Hazel Blears that house building will take priority over environmental concerns clearly raises the prospect of a significant change in the character of our local area, one which will be seen as negative by a majority of residents.
While Brown's spokesman has since denied that the Green Belt is at significant risk, what he cannot deny is that current government 'guidance' to planners states that they have to identify new sites for housing for the next 15 years, regardless as to whether they would actually be needed. There is no expection made for districts like ours where this will in practice mean building on the Green Belt.
Whatever the actual outcome it seems clear that Brown's Government remains as committed to imposing its own will on local areas as Blair's was. Local people are still not going to be able to take the decisions that matter most to them. Tandridge needs new housing, but local experience has shown that we are able to provide this without having to resort to green belt building.
