Lynne "Lets Demolish Plans for Greenfield Building Boom"

8.33.11pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Aug 2006

West Midlands Liberal Democrats MEP Liz Lynne today slammed the Government's latest home building projections as a troubling first step towards increasing greenbelt homebuilding in the region at the expense of some of the nation's most beautiful countryside.

According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) the latest Government predictions of housing requirements could see 50% more land being allocated for house building across the West Midlands over the next 25 years, with the figures more than doubling in some areas.

Liz Lynne, who is Vice President of Staffordshire CPRE said "It is almost unbearable to think of the damage that these proposed greenfield developments could do to the West Midland's countryside. Councils such as those in Hereford and Shropshire have already reported that the new targets are impossible to meet."

"It is vitally important that we build on brownfield sites and regenerate inner-city areas. We need affordable and sustainable housing that does not ruin our rural areas."

"A fine example is in South Shropshire where the Liberal Democrat run council has developed affordable part ownership schemes on brownfield land. We need to put preservation and regeneration before destructive developments."

Ends

Editor's Notes

1. The Government's 2003-based household projections were published in March this year. They estimate future numbers of households nationally and in particular parts of the country, based on past demographic trends continuing. They take no account of the effect of future policy. However the Government have insisted in meetings and at conferences that the Regional Assembly should seriously consider raising the planned housing figures to the level implied by the projections.

For further information, comment or to book an interview, please telephone Liz Lynne on 077644 52725(mobile) or Press Officer on 01789 262785