Questions over greenbelt's future
bbc.co.uk, 3rd May, 2005
It may have been overshadowed nationally by more emotive issues such as the Iraq war, school discipline and the state of hospitals, but in Gloucestershire the environment is high on the political agenda.A disagreement between the county council and deputy prime minister John Prescott earlier this year over the preservation of greenbelt land around Gloucester and Cheltenham could escalate into a full-blown row.
The council has said it wants to protect the land by blocking any housing development until after 2016, but says Mr Prescott has insisted it should remove the proposed ban.
Such is the strength of feeling at local level that the previous council (a new council will be elected on 5 May) has advised the next administration to fight to protect the greenbelt.
Not surprisingly, it has become an important issue for politicians as they canvass Gloucestershire people in the run-up to the local and general elections.
"It's a very big issue," said prospective Labour councillor Maureen Rutter.
"Local people feel very strongly about it."
'Green space'
Ms Rutter put her name to a cross-party statement at the beginning of April which urged the new council to oppose Mr Prescott's direction.
"If we put all the development there (around Cheltenham and Gloucester), there isn't room to develop villages in more rural areas, which we would like to see happen," Ms Rutter said.
"These communities will die if they don't get houses, and affordable housing, to support schools and local shops."
Prospective Conservative councillor Barry Dare said brownfield development should be a priority.
The council wants houses built without 'greenbelt intrusion'
"If reasonable brownfield land is available, it should be encouraged," he said.
"Particularly (as part of) any city regeneration."
Gloucestershire must find space for more than 38,600 new homes under its Structure Plan, which outlines where buildings will be located up until 2016.
The county council has drafted proposals which it says mean houses can be built "without the need for greenbelt intrusion".
But at the beginning of April, it said it had been told by Mr Prescott, via the Government Office for the South West, that 60% of new homes should be built in and around Cheltenham and Gloucester.
The authority said this would put pressure on the greenbelt. It also claimed it was told it would have to "remove wording about our statement that greenbelt release should not happen before 2016".
If an agreement is not reached, the Structure Plan cannot be adopted, with the prospect of piecemeal housing development across the county.
Prospective Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Boait said: "We are very much against the latest government decision which in effect puts a stop to the Structure Plan going through."
The issue has been picked up by candidates campaigning for seats at the General Election.
Martin Horwood and Vanessa Gearson, prospective Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates for Cheltenham, both see it as an example of central government interfering with local decision-making.
Niall Warry, UKIP candidate for Cheltenham, agrees.
'Cutting car use'
Labour candidate for Tewkesbury, Charles Mannan said he would fight to preserve the greenbelt and believes Mr Prescott would be prepared to listen to any objections.
"This government has done more for the environment and greenbelt than previous governments," he said.
Martin Whiteside, Green party candidate for Stroud, warned greenbelt development could have wider environmental implications.
"There is brownfield land available for housing in the town and city centres," he said.
"In the past, such centres used to be full of people living and working.
"If we are serious about cutting car use, and defending the greenbelt, we must put the houses back into those centres."
