Councillor calls for Council to reject Tory plan for green belt

5.33.01pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 17th Oct 2005

At the meeting of the Council, Tuesday 18th October 2005, Councillor David Ward will be calling for the Council to reject the decision of the Tory Executive Councillors to amend the greenbelt in Bradford and to let the public have their say at a proper inquiry.

Green belt under threat

Councillor Ward says,"I believe that the greenbelt is important to prevent urban sprawl and the merging of towns. By protecting the green belt the Council can also encourage urban regeneration, provide opportunities for leisure and improve the quality of people's lives. "

"It is also important because losing the greenbelt is more that just the loss of view or a recreational open space. With the loss of green belt local people can lose their sense of place and history. As a Councillor in Idle ward I have seen first hand the impact on local people when the fields that they love are removed. Land must not be sacrificed lightly, without proper consideration or consultation."

"I am not alone in my concerns. The Council for the Protection of Rural England has warned of the onslaught of greenbelt. They are warning that "greenbelt land in West Yorkshire is some of the most endangered in the land."

"I am concerned that the Tory Executive is asking us to go along with the Planning Inspectors recommendation even though the Council itself warns that the Secretary of State has identified weaknesses in the plan. Even the Council itself has tried to use its own internal standing orders to prevent proper scrutiny of its plans. "

"Many local people believe that the action of the Council has prevented them from having a fair hearing when presenting their objections to land being removed from the greenbelt "says Councillor Ward.

"I am asking fellow Councillors to reject the decision of the Tory Executive to amend the green belt without a formal review or an urban capacity study and to reject the Replacement Unitary Development Plan until the public can have their rightful say in matters that affect their lives through the holding of a public inquiry."