Margaret Greenwood MP has spoken out against new plans by developer Leverhulme Estate to build up to 240 new homes on green belt land near Rigby Drive in Greasby.
The plans have been submitted to Wirral Council and they are the latest in a series of applications made on behalf of Leverhulme Estate to build homes on green belt land across Wirral. The plans are awaiting validation by the council; people will need to wait for their publication online before objections can be submitted.
The Wirral West MP has repeatedly spoken out against development on the green belt.
In a recent debate in parliament, she said that she supports her constituents who feel passionately about protecting the green belt and that the government should come forward with stronger protections for the green belt as a matter of urgency.
She is urging local people to make sure that they have their say on the latest plans by Leverhulme Estate.
Speaking out against the plans, Margaret Greenwood MP said, “Leverhulme Estate should abandon their plans to build housing on the green belt in Wirral West.
“People in Wirral West value the green belt highly and have made it abundantly clear that they do not want to see it built on.
“I fully support them in this.
“We need more affordable homes built to high energy efficiency standards and we need them to be built on brownfield sites.
“The green belt is important to people’s health and wellbeing and for the role it plays in supporting wildlife habits, allowing nature to flourish and mitigating the effects of climate change.
“Wirral’s draft local plan, which has now been submitted to the secretary of state for independent examination, states that sufficient brownfield land and opportunities exist within the urban areas of the borough to meet housing needs, and the exceptional circumstances to justify alterations to the green belt boundaries do not exist in Wirral.
“Leverhulme should pay heed to this and drop their plans. I urge everyone who wants to protect the green belt to have their say through the planning process.
“Once the green belt is gone, it is gone forever.
“I have called on government to bring forward greater protection for the green belt. People’s immediate environment is extremely important to them.
“We need to protect the green belt for this and future generations.”
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