Thank you to everyone who has written to me about planning and protecting nature.
My view is that the current planning rules do not work for anyone. We do not build enough houses, we lack the critical infrastructure we need, and when we do build, it is often at a glacially slow pace and all too often comes at the expense of nature. The rules do not work, and they need to change. One local example of this are the current National Grid proposals to lay an undersea cable through Pegwell Bay and build a converter station on the Minster Marshes nature reserve, which I believe National Grid must rethink.
However, I am also strongly of the view that we need rules that ensure communities are listened to, while also ensuring we build what we need in Thanet. In Thanet, instead of thoughtful planning, we too often see green spaces replaced with sprawling, disconnected estates that lack the necessary infrastructure, with no GP surgery, no school, and no reliable bus route.
These developments frequently feel imposed, unaffordable for local people, and out of step with the character of the area. That is why the current rules need to change, which is what the government is currently forging ahead with.
I have recently written an article where I make the argument for why I believe the ‘builders vs blockers’ framing is unhelpful and incorrect – you can read it by clicking here. I believe that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill can be an important reset moment, as we redesign a planning system that has not protected nature, or allowed us to build the houses we need, but I agree we need to make sure that we get it right.
When it comes to housebuilding, I am glad that the government has confirmed they want to see land used as efficiently as possible, with a ‘brownfield first’ approach. That includes ensuring that wherever possible we are redeveloping derelict or unused land, including so-called ‘grey belt’ land which is situated in the green belt but is not ‘green’ in any reasonable person’s understanding of the word.
So please rest assured that I will always stand up for building the right kinds of housing, that protects nature and meets the needs of our community here in Thanet.