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National Trust against homes plan National Trust in houses land row
(about 6 hours later)
The National Trust is to set itself up in direct opposition to the government's house-building programme. The National Trust has said it would fight the government to protect the countryside from housing development.
Chairman Sir William Proby claimed some 10,000 acres of the green belt is at risk, which he said was "terrifying".
The countryside was losing its redeeming and restorative qualities "inch by inch", he told the Trust's annual general meeting in London.
The Trust's members are to be asked if it should buy more green belt land to protect it from development.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to build three million more homes by 2020 to tackle the housing crisis.Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to build three million more homes by 2020 to tackle the housing crisis.
But the chairman of the National Trust will tell the organisation's AGM later this would destroy the countryside. The government says that extra housing is needed to ease shortages, and it can be built while protecting the green belt.
Sir William Proby will suggest the Trust intervenes in planning inquiries and buys greenfield land to protect it from house building. Ministers have said the boom in house building would take place on brownfield sites and areas owned by the public sector.
The government insists green-belt land is safe. In his address to the meeting in London, Sir William said plans to build more homes were driven by ministers' "obsession with economic growth".
It says the boom in house building would take place on brownfield sites and areas owned by the public sector. HAVE YOUR SAY There are still too many undeveloped derelict sites, these should be developed before building on green fields Adrian, Taunton class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3774&edition=1">Send us your comments
Planning system He said more than three square miles of the green belt have been lost each year as a result of regional development plans.
Sir William told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We're not saying no development ever on the greenbelt. Far from it. Sir William said: "What is happening to the countryside? Inch by inch, year by year its redeeming, restorative qualities are being eroded."
HAVE YOUR SAY There are still too many undeveloped derelict sites, these should be developed before building on greenfields Adrian, Taunton class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3774&edition=1">Send us your comments He went on: "We are not against progress, nor do we hark back to some mythical golden past. We support the needs of all citizens for decent places to live and we know that some development must happen.
"But what we are saying is that before we embark upon building on this scale we need to think more carefully about the value of the spaces we're going to lose because once these have gone, it's gone forever. It's irrevocable." "But the sheer scale of what is being contemplated now goes way beyond this."
But Sir William will tell the meeting in London the building programme would amount to a gradual destruction of the countryside. Sir William told the meeting that "new arguments" had to be developed to "define the benefits that green belt land and open space bring to us all".
His comments come a week after an independent body set up to advise ministers on new homes said that even the government's projected three million figure would not be enough to meet the demand for new homes. He asked members if The National Trust, which has an annual income of £350m, should buy up green-belt areas to protect them instead of relying on the planning system to safeguard the land.
Sir William will ask the meeting for suggestions on where the new homes should be built.
He is also expected to ask members if The National Trust, which has an annual income of £350m, should buy up green-belt areas to protect them or rely on the planning system to do so.
GOVERNMENT HOUSING POLICIES Housing market renewal scheme to restore sustainable communities to parts of the North and Midlands Home Information Packs being introducedAll social housing must meet the 'decent homes standard'100,000 homes in "carbon neutral" communities planned for old industrial sitesNew HomeBuy scheme enables social tenants, key workers and other first time buyers to buy share of a homeGOVERNMENT HOUSING POLICIES Housing market renewal scheme to restore sustainable communities to parts of the North and Midlands Home Information Packs being introducedAll social housing must meet the 'decent homes standard'100,000 homes in "carbon neutral" communities planned for old industrial sitesNew HomeBuy scheme enables social tenants, key workers and other first time buyers to buy share of a home
The National Trust has plans to challenge new developments and intervene in planning inquiries, even if it is not directly involved with the land being targeted for development. Sir William's comments come a week after an independent body set up to advise ministers on new homes said that even the government's projected three million figure would not be enough to meet the demand for new homes.
The move echoes the earliest origins of the organisation, which was partly inspired by an unsuccessful 19th century campaign to preserve for public use fields around Swiss Cottage in north-west London. The government said Sir William's analysis was flawed and that he did not fully understand the planning restrictions in place to protect green-belt land.
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said the claims made by Sir William were flawed and "misunderstand the planning protections that are in place to safeguard the countryside".
He said: "For the sake of first time buyers and families on council waiting lists, there is a need to build more homes but we believe it is possible to do so whilst protecting the environment and green spaces."
The National Trust has 3.5m members, making it one of Europe's biggest membership organisation.The National Trust has 3.5m members, making it one of Europe's biggest membership organisation.
It owns some 250,000 hectares of countryside and 700 miles of British coastline.It owns some 250,000 hectares of countryside and 700 miles of British coastline.
The government said Sir William's analysis was flawed and that he did not fully understand the planning restrictions in place to protect green-belt land.