Labour Leader Keir Starmer Vows to Concrete Over the Green Belt

British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has shed any green credentials he might once have held by vowing to give English councils more powers to allow developers to build on green belt land. In British town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth, the aim being to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land. Under current planning rules in England, new buildings can only be constructed on green belt land in exceptional circumstances. Keir Starmer would give councils more power to concrete over protected sites. This reckless call for relaxation of controls on green belt land will lead to further creeping development at great cost to nature, damage to peoples health and well-being, and hindering action against climate change. England is already one of Europe’s most densely populated countries, and parts are suffering from related ecological harm. The water environment is unable to cope in areas with the highest growth. Biodiversity is also under huge pressure with habitat destruction, pollution and disturbance as the urban footprint expands.

Campaigning groups are calling for more protection of green belt areas and not less. They point to the benefits of these areas.  Including the benefits for people to breathe and explore, learn new skills, go rambling and running, and for relaxing.  For nature - they help reverse the dramatic decline of nature in the UK. Good quality green belt habitats, including wildlife corridors and wetlands linking town and country, could support more wild species. For flood control - they can act as a giant store for water during droughts and need to hold back during floods. Wetlands for wildlife can retain flood waters and be used for swimming, boating and other leisure activities. For food - they offer the opportunity for more locally grown, good quality food whilst also helping support skills and employment.  For climate - green belts help with the climate crisis by having more tree cover and hedgerows. This would additionally  provide shelter belts for crops, improving soil and water quality, supporting diverse wildlife and even local timber production.