West Sussex MPs must act on Boris Johnson’s pledge to stop building homes on greenfield sites

A Sussex greenfield site under threat of development. Picture by Derek Martin

Boris Johnson has clearly signalled that building on the beautiful green fields of West Sussex should no longer be acceptable – but our MPs must hold the Prime Minister’s feet to the fire to ensure he sticks to his word.

That is the West Sussex Gazette’s message to our parliamentary representatives today (Wednesday, October 13), following Mr Johnson’s Conservative Party Conference speech last Wednesday, in which he called for new homes to be built on brownfield land – ‘not on green fields, not just jammed in the South East’.

The remarks provided hope to residents fighting the development of green spaces from Buck Barn to Barnham and beyond – all because of gargantuan government housing targets that are simply not proportionate for a county with space at a premium.

But soundbites will not save one square metre of treasured land.

Without new planning policy, the Prime Minister’s words will count for as little as residents’ concerns over creaking infrastructure do now when statutory consultees raise the dreaded ‘no objection’.

The clock is ticking – every day lost raises the chance of a new planning application to pave the way to permanent loss of a greenfield site – so our Conservative MPs must do everything in their power to push this issue to the very top of the agenda.

Our councils need clarity. Can they tear up their local plans, which clear the way for so much destruction of our countryside?

They should join with our MPs to lobby the Prime Minister, too.

West Sussex MPs must act on Boris Johnson’s pledge to stop building homes on greenfield sites – and fast