Louie French MP today objected to Labour's plans to triple Bexley's housing target while removing protections for the Green Belt, warning the changes will significantly damage local green spaces and nature while failing to deliver family-sized homes.
The Government's proposals will increase Bexley's housing target from 685 a year in the London Plan to 1,801. This is despite Labour cutting London's overall target because it's "removed from reality" to expect the capital to deliver three times as many homes as it's currently delivering. But that's what Labour is demanding from Bexley.
The changes will force councils that cannot meet their housing target to review and release Green Belt land, with the rules significantly weakening the protection against urban sprawl. The focus on housing numbers also rewards councils for building small one and two-bedroom flats instead of the family-sized homes Bexley desperately needs.
In his official objection, Louie said: "The two-tier approach of setting Bexley a housing target that the Government thinks London cannot achieve shows the major flaw in your approach.
"The clear intention is to force a green belt review in Bexley against local wishes and burden communities that already lack sufficient infrastructure.
"These proposals are unrealistic and will not deliver the homes Bexley needs without significantly damaging local green spaces and nature."
Read his full letter below.
