THE GREEN BELT’S NOT FOR HOUSING – IT’S FOR LIFE
No more Green Belt land must be sacrificed to housing. That is what countryside campaigners are telling the CambridgeCity and South Cambridgeshire Councils. Cambridgeshire Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says the Green Belt around Cambridge must be permanent if the villages surrounding Cambridge are not to become suburbs of the City.
CPRE claims it is too soon after the last time Green Belt land was taken for development and that to further erode it would undermine public confidence in the principle of Green Belt. The continued loss would lead to significant damage to the landscaped setting of Cambridge and its unique character as a small compact University City. In particular, CPRE considers that two areas of land at Worts' Causeway which are proposed for around 480 homes would encroach on the open countryside leading up to Wandlebury Country Park and severely spoil the view as one approaches Cambridge from the Gog Magog hills.
CPRE’s Cambridgeshire Chairman, Michael Monk, said: "We know new homes are needed, but these should be built on previously-developed land within the City and larger villages. The Green Belt should be a permanent fixture. Any review should be done at long intervals of say 30 years and only in very exceptional circumstances. It was last reviewed only 7 years ago in the 2006 Local Plan. We oppose the development of all further Green Belt sites. Continuous 'nibbling' at the edges of the Green Belt cannot not be tolerated.
“Cambridge has a small but very important Green Belt. It’s origins go back to the early post war years, when it was decided the city should not be damaged by being surrounded by masses of urban sprawl. Local people are only now being able to see the impact of the last round of Green Belt loss, in particular at Trumpington – and there is a lot more to come in the existing plans. We definitely don’t want even more!”
CPRE is hoping many Cambridgeshire residents will join the call for the protection of the Green Belt. “The Green Belt must be protected so it provides a distinct open space between the City and neighbouring villages. The alternative is for those villages to lose their character and become suburbs of the City," said Mr Monk.
CambridgeCity and South Cambridge District Council are jointly consulting on proposals for development at specific sites for inclusion in the forthcoming revised Local Plans for the two councils. The consultation ends on 18 February.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact Michael Monk: 01480456634; Mobile 07761 372224 or Ali Sargent: Mob 07776 255193