March to save green belt

A grim procession of protesters descended on Government offices in Bristol to show their outrage at plans to build thousands of new homes.

A hearse bearing a green coffin to symbolise the death of the green belt around Bath and outlying areas of Bristol led the cortege yesterday, as politicians joined members of the public in scattering handfuls of grass in mourning.

The stunt was staged to coincide with the deadline for people to comment on the Regional Spatial Strategy, a blueprint which calls for 21,300 new homes to be built in Bath and north-east Somerset between now and 2026.

The increase from the Government's initial target of 15,500 includes 8,000 new homes in the Whitchurch area, 3,000 in Keynsham, 6,000 in Bath and another 2,000 as an urban extension to Bath.

City bosses in Bath have already registered formal opposition to the hike from the original target of 15,500, saying the higher figure does not correspond with economic growth trends and will lead to the concreting over of green belt.

Residents, led by politicians from all three major political parties, travelled to the headquarters of the Government Office for the South West in Temple Quay to hand in comment forms and petitions to senior civil servant Tom King. Campaigners support calls for new homes in the Bath area, particularly affordable schemes.

But they point out fewer than 7,000 new homes have been built in B&NES in the last 18 years and that the looming recession means the Government projections are wildly overambitious.

B&NES politician Cllr Neil Butters who was representing Southstoke Parish Council in its fight against the blueprint's suggestion that homes be built near the village. He said: "There is a real worry in Southstoke that the integrity of the village would be destroyed were housing to be built across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"About 100 households – 95 per cent of those contacted – in the core village area have objected."

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary hopeful for the new North East Somerset seat, Gail Coleshill, said the Government was calling for three times as many homes as had been built in the last 18 years.

"I don't believe this can be justified, and it will lead to enormous infrastructure problems," she said.

Labour MP for Kingswood Roger Berry, Conservative representatives and protesters from the Dundry and Whitchurch action groups were also at the protest.

North East Somerset Tory hopeful Jacob Rees-Mogg said: "The Government keeps increasing these house-building targets when residents have clearly objected to the plans and when little thought has been put into infrastructure to cope.

"Of course more affordable housing is essential at a time when people are struggling to pay their mortgages, but we must develop in a sensible way that is sensitive to the needs of local communities."