Some very good news on Green Belt and planning this week.

The Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has further clarified the Government’s position in line with the National Planning Policy Framework and made it absolutely clear that councils will not be expected to redraw Green Belt boundaries to accommodate housing development when constructing local plans.

This will be welcomed by concerned residents around the country, and I am sure none more so than here in Castle Point!

Unfortunately, I have no doubt that developers will pounce on councils that do not have at least a draft plan in place to stave off speculative development and will try to submit planning applications on undeveloped Green Belt sites they have their eyes on as soon as possible, aiming to get them heard by planning committees before those councils get their draft plans ready for consultation.

Castle Point Council withdrew the last draft local plan in June and I expect will be acting urgently now to strengthen their hand as much as possible against speculative development on local undeveloped Green Belt sites and accelerate their timetable for getting a new draft local plan together as much as possible.