At a Glance
- Southend Greens oppose plans to build thousands of homes on Green Belt land at Hadleigh Farm and north of Bournes Green.
- They argue the proposals will not solve homelessness or help local first-time buyers.
- The party is backing local campaign groups and calling for brownfield sites to be prioritised.
Southend Greens step up campaign to protect Green Belt as major housing plans emerge
- Southend Greens are opposing plans to build thousands of homes on Green Belt land at Hadleigh Farm and north of Bournes Green, warning that once this land is lost, it is lost forever.
- They argue the proposals will not solve homelessness or help local first-time buyers, but instead risk creating car-dependent estates of expensive homes aimed at London commuters.
- The Greens are backing local campaign groups and calling for brownfield sites to be prioritised, and for the 1.4 million homes with planning permission that remain unbuilt to be delivered first.
Southend Greens have renewed their call to protect the city’s Green Belt following proposals for thousands of new homes on land at Hadleigh Farm and north of Bournes Green.
With Britain already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, the Greens say expanding into the Green Belt will not solve either the housing crisis or the climate and nature emergency.
Simon Gittus, Green candidate for West Leigh, said, “the Labour Government has boxed itself in with its pledge to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the decade. The result is that developers are calling the shots, and here in Southend we are seeing a Labour-led administration bending over backwards to meet developers’ demands rather than standing up for residents.
“The homes proposed for Hadleigh Farm and north of Bournes Green will do little to tackle homelessness or help local first-time buyers. They are far more likely to be car-dependent estates of expensive, executive-style housing aimed at commuters and buyers from London, not graduates or people who have grown up in Southend and want to stay here to start a family.”
He added, “this land is Green Belt for a reason. It provides space for nature, supports biodiversity, and prevents Southend from merging into Hadleigh and Rochford. Once it is built on, it is lost forever.”
The Greens have pledged their support for local campaign groups including Save Hadleigh Farm and Greenbelters. They are calling for brownfield sites to be prioritised and for the 1.4 million homes nationwide that already have planning permission but have not been built to be delivered.