I'll FIGHT TO SAVE OUR GREEN BELT: MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 8th Aug 2005

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has expressed his concern about the news that Green Belt land in north Leeds has been bought by a 'land banking' company.The land has been bought by The English Land Partnership, who buy land which has not yet received planning permission and sell it off in plots.

The news comes shortly after the 50th anniversary of the first Government circular telling councils to look at designating areas of Green Belt land. Much concern has been voiced over the amount of Green Belt land currently being lost to property developments, with one group 'Campaign to Protect Rural England' (CPRE) planning on walking London's Green Belt on 21 August. Five major Green Belt sites around Nottingham, London, Dorset, Cheltenham and Bath are currently being reviewed by the Government to accommodate more housing. Green Belt boundaries have already been moved in areas such as Tyne and Wear and Manchester.

Commenting on these latest developments, Greg said:

"This news is deeply concerning and I pledge to fight any development every step of the way."

"The most worrying thing about this is that the land has been purchased 'with a view to obtaining a change of use' in the near future. Although there are no concrete plans for the site at the moment, I think it's pretty clear that the intention with the 'change of use' clause is to develop the site.

"The Government has already admitted that an average of 2,400 acres of undeveloped Green Belt is being built on each year and even the Prime Minister wouldn't give the Commons a reassurance that our Green Belt is safe. This appears to give little hope that the Cookridge Pastures will be safe from development. "