Our green space is so precious (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Our green space is so precious

3:26pm Thursday 25th January 2007 in Our View By Telegraph & Argus

The future of the protected open spaces around Britain's towns and cities is on the agenda again thanks to a report from the think tank The Policy Exchange which suggests that the Green Belt should be abolished.

Its call for an end to the tough planning rules that for decades have protected the countryside around urban areas will no doubt be welcomed enthusiastically by developers and builders. It will also probably get a sympathetic hearing from the Government, which is setting high targets for the number of new homes it wants to see created over the next few years.

There is no doubt that more homes are needed in a country which is seeing an increase in population through both natural growth and immigration. An excess of demand over supply is being blamed for the relentless rise in prices which is making it so difficult for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder.

But abandoning the search for land to recycle in favour of the easy option of unfettered development on green-field sites on the edge of urban areas should not be seen as the answer. As we have seen around Bradford, and particularly in the Aire Valley, sprawling new housing estates on green sites generate large amounts of traffic that the roads system can't cope with. They put intolerable pressure on existing schools and medical facilities. And they damage the vital, accessible countryside that town and city dwellers rely on to recharge their batteries, forcing them to travel further in search of peace and quiet.

The Green Belt is precious. We should not even think of abandoning it.