100 signatures reached
To: Angela Rayner - Deputy Prime Minister & Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government
Build for, not against our communities!
Whilst we are aware of housing demand, the new Planning Reforms have sent alarm bells ringing here. Dartford Borough Council has voted on a Local Plan, which has identified suitable areas for new housing and we have met housing targets over recent years.
However, shockingly with the new government proposals, we are still at risk of losing huge swathes of Green Belt land! This would not only impact on the local wildlife but also our communities. This borough already has a lack of infastructure, with roads heaving and too few schools places & doctors to meet local needs.
Therefore, we the undersigned implore Angela Rayner to consider the needs of our community and to do what is best for Dartford - building sensitively with people and nature in mind, not simply to profit developers.
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public38/images/councillor.gif
However, shockingly with the new government proposals, we are still at risk of losing huge swathes of Green Belt land! This would not only impact on the local wildlife but also our communities. This borough already has a lack of infastructure, with roads heaving and too few schools places & doctors to meet local needs.
Therefore, we the undersigned implore Angela Rayner to consider the needs of our community and to do what is best for Dartford - building sensitively with people and nature in mind, not simply to profit developers.
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public38/images/councillor.gif
Why is this important?
Dear Angela,
We are all aware of the need for warm, affordable housing across the country. However, recent announcements from yourself and the government have sadly sought to pitch communities against local decision making processes and nature against people.
The new Planning Reforms seek to take power away from those who have been elected to represent residents, overriding democracy and playing into the hands and ultimately pockets of developers. Developers already hold too much power and people will continue to be locked out of buying and even renting in this, their home town š
As one of the most nature depleted countries on earth, we can't afford to keep building without a thought for nature. Not only are green spaces essential to relax in, flooding is an increasing risk in over built locations, such as this. We rely on biodiversity, eg pollinators such as š bees and š¦ butterflies to pollinate our food, however if all of their habitats continue to be concreted over, long-term this will effect every species, including our own.
In order to reassure local people, who are understandably dismayed at these new proposals, please can you offer comfort with the following šš
- To bring empty properties back into use as a priority.
- Setting an expectation for all developers to build a minimum 50% Affordable housing.
- Abolish the disastrous Right to Buy scheme
- Commit to respecting Local Plans
- The expectation for developers to build warm, affordable homes.
- Environmental measures such as solar panels, flooding protections, swift & bee bricks & hedgehog holes to be delivered as standard for all builds.
- Ensuring environmental protections such as Sites of Scientific Special Interest (SSSIs] are adhered to - thereby keeping important nature havens such as Swanscombe Peninsula safe.
Thank you,
Written by š Cllr Laura Edie
On behalf of Dartford Borough residents
We are all aware of the need for warm, affordable housing across the country. However, recent announcements from yourself and the government have sadly sought to pitch communities against local decision making processes and nature against people.
The new Planning Reforms seek to take power away from those who have been elected to represent residents, overriding democracy and playing into the hands and ultimately pockets of developers. Developers already hold too much power and people will continue to be locked out of buying and even renting in this, their home town š
As one of the most nature depleted countries on earth, we can't afford to keep building without a thought for nature. Not only are green spaces essential to relax in, flooding is an increasing risk in over built locations, such as this. We rely on biodiversity, eg pollinators such as š bees and š¦ butterflies to pollinate our food, however if all of their habitats continue to be concreted over, long-term this will effect every species, including our own.
In order to reassure local people, who are understandably dismayed at these new proposals, please can you offer comfort with the following šš
- To bring empty properties back into use as a priority.
- Setting an expectation for all developers to build a minimum 50% Affordable housing.
- Abolish the disastrous Right to Buy scheme
- Commit to respecting Local Plans
- The expectation for developers to build warm, affordable homes.
- Environmental measures such as solar panels, flooding protections, swift & bee bricks & hedgehog holes to be delivered as standard for all builds.
- Ensuring environmental protections such as Sites of Scientific Special Interest (SSSIs] are adhered to - thereby keeping important nature havens such as Swanscombe Peninsula safe.
Thank you,
Written by š Cllr Laura Edie
On behalf of Dartford Borough residents
