Wokingham Borough Council are about to release their Local Plan Update. It is believed to contain proposals for another 7,000 houses at Hall Farm, on a site that is currently predominantly agricultural. Wokingham have been put in a difficult position admittedly, as they have been instructed by the current national government to build 12,000 to 13,000 new houses.
That this flies in the face of Boris Johnsons commitment to protect 30% of Britain's Green space by 2030.
"An extra 400,000 hectares of English countryside will be protected to support the recovery of nature under plans announced by Boris Johnson.
The prime minister made the commitment at a virtual United Nations event.
He joined a global pledge from 65 leaders to reverse losses in the natural world by the same date.
National parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and other protected areas make up 26% of land in England.
Mr Johnson promised the government would increase the amount of protected land in the UK to 30% by 2030". Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54320030 So he has promised to spend the next 19 years protecting an extra 4% of our green fields? Underwhelmed?
675 Hectares of greenfield in Wokingham does not have the immediate appeal of a National Park. But to those of us living here it is far more valuable. The problems with traveling to our "recreational outdoor space" is even more obvious now, after the recent fuel shortage than it was before. It is simply unsustainable. Something else the fuel shortage highlighted was how overcrowded it now is in the South East of England. We ran out of fuel more quickly and when fuel became available again it took longer for stocks to be delivered to the pumps.
Put simply, we need our green spaces local and we need our housing stock more evenly spread across the country.
Mr Johnson said countries must turn "words into action" and "agree ambitious goals and binding targets".
"We can't afford dither and delay because biodiversity loss is happening today, it is happening at a frightening rate," he said.
"If left unchecked, the consequences will be catastrophic for us all."
"Extinction is forever - so our action must be immediate," he added.
Agreed! Yes! But biodiversity is everywhere! We need it here in Berkshire, not just in Cumbria, or wherever it is he thinks it is. I am NIMBY because my back yard is all but obliterated! The banks of the River Loddon are my back yard and they are in desperate need of protection.
We have to stop the spread of urban sprawl and preserve some separation between settlements.
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