AIBU to not want to pave paradise and put up 5000 houses ?

[crackerbreadcrunchie]

I attended a consultation event today held by my local council in a local church hall. This was for any interested parties to attend to get information on their plans to build between 5000 to 7000 new houses in the borough.

Apparently all councils in the country have to supply sites for house building as part of a government directive. This is supposed to be brownfield sites first and then when they have been exhausted greenfield sites and then in exceptional circumstances, green belt sites.

However, guess what ? Just about all the sites they are offering up are green belt sites, with lists of super duper reasons why there are exceptional reasons that these sites should be used.

I know a lot of people are going to point out about housing shortages etc except this is in the North East of England and we do not have the housing shortages which are being experienced in other areas like the South East of England.
Also, I know that we have one of the highest concentrations in the country of social housing . I am not sure of the exact figures but I think it's something like 70% of the housing stock is social housing. So affordable housing is already available. Also we have a declining population which the council confirmed at the consultation.

We haven't got that much green belt land in the borough to begin with on account of the fact that the northern boundary is made up a bloody great river, and the eastern boundary is an even bigger sea.

So AIBU to want to keep our already limited green built areas as they are ?

S Tyneside by any chance?

It is completely bonkers. So many brownfield sites but they've picked the green belt.

Same round here OP, it's ridiculous but no amount of objecting seems to make any difference.

I was going to say Manchester as it's happening here too.
Funnily enough when it gets to council elections they all seem to shout about the opposite to what they voted for originally !

I sympathise OP, but if we want to keep allowing the current levels of immigration in this country and the myriad benefits that brings to our economy and everything else, then something’s got to give. People do need to live somewhere and we can’t have it both ways.

Yes, South Tyneside I actually feel very depressed by it all now . I think it's all going to go ahead any way and the council are just paying lip service to the idea of a consultation.

The problem is that even in areas with excess housing stock, it often isn't the kind that's needed, the small 2 up 2 downs simply aren't suitable for most people, staircases narrow and steep, downstairs bathroom built on off the kitchen and no parking. Whole terraces are being demolished and replaced with more suitable developments with better access and decent bathrooms