Bath MP Don Foster yesterday spoke in the Westminster Hall debate on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy on the 7th October, and called for a proper test to make sure that all brownfield sites were developed before areas in the green belt.
Speaking in the debate, Don said, “[There is an] urgent need to have a sequential test so that we stick to the rule of developing brownfield, derelict properties first, and green belt land as a very last resort, if necessary. If we do not, it will lead to problems with developers cherry-picking the best and easiest sites, which would be a planning disaster.”
Don also called on the Minister to allow student developments to count, saying, “Will the Minister at least reconsider the ludicrous situation in the centre of Bath, where 1,772 family homes are entirely occupied by students? Building student accommodation on our two university campuses…would release many of those properties. Surely, releasing properties for ordinary home use should count towards the target.