Labour's green belt plans would be a 'calamity' - MP

Labour's plans to build on the green belt would be a "complete calamity" for Surrey and south-east England, the MP for Woking has said.

Jonathan Lord said the villages of Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford had already seen "a large number" of proposed developments in recent years.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Lord raised a proposed development on "beautiful fields" near West Hall.

Labour, which has pledged to create a new class of "grey belt" land for low-quality green belt areas as part of its proposal to build 1.5 million homes if it forms the next government, has been contacted for comment.

Mr Lord said the West Hall development was "of particular concern".

The plans for more than 460 new homes on the former green belt land were unveiled by Barratt David Wilson Homes in February.

The MP told the Commons: "Over 1,000 of my constituents have written back to me in recent weeks expressing their deep concerns about the lack of provision of local infrastructure and the potential effects on the local environment.

"My residents and I will fight on, but does the Prime Minister agree with me that Labour's proposals to concrete over vast swathes of the green belt would be a complete calamity?"

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he believed the proposals would "decimate the green belt".

"We believe in local people having a say over their local communities which is why we are making sure we are making best use of brownfield land," he added.

Under Labour's proposals, councils would be required to prioritise building on brownfield sites, as well as so-called "grey belt" sites.

The opposition party has said the new category would include "poor-quality scrubland, mothballed on the outskirts of town".

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