THE character of some Barnsley villages will be changed forever under proposals to build new homes in the borough’s green belt, a local MP has warned.
Angela Smith, whose constituency covers Penistone, spoke in Parliament last week about the impact housing estates could have on previously quiet villages in areas which have been protected from developments.
Meeting government-set housing targets will involve building more than 20,000 new homes in Barnsley over the next 15 years, while the Campaign to Protect Rural England identified 5,700 threats to the borough’s green belt last year.
The council’s Local Plan, which is the blueprint for development up to 2033, has entered its latest public consultation phase, which will run until August 28.
One of the key changes centres on growing the economy by 28,840 new jobs, down from the initial target of 33,000, and to deliver 21,546 new homes, up from 20,330.
“What we will see, if we are not careful, is over development in small towns such as Penistone,” Angela told the Chronicle.
“The houses that will be built won’t be the ones we need for local people but rather more expensive offerings that will threaten the social mix which currently characterises the communities that make up my largely rural constituency.
“It is also worth noting the potential impact on our natural environment. Our green belt covers 53 per cent of all the farmland subject to environmental stewardship schemes and 30 per cent of the local nature reserves created between 2009 and 2015.
“Large numbers of my constituents have lived in small villages and towns for generations. They love their communities and it’s not nimbyism to want to preserve the integrity of the places they live.”
The MP, who estimates that 70 per cent of her constituency has green belt status, believes there isn’t enough land to supply the needs.
“The green belt has been examined during the process of putting together a draft plan for publication and consultation,” she added.
“These reviews took place, though, alongside a call to developers for suitable sites to be brought forward for consideration in the Local Plan.
“This effectively has resulted in a dramatic cumulative impact - high target numbers have combined with green belt review and the traditional call to developers to put previously out of reach sites within the grasp of those wanting to put shovels in the ground.
“Our green belt protection is in danger of being eroded in my constituency. I am sure my constituency is the sort of place that those who originally devised green belt policy had in mind when they wanted to protect areas from urban sprawl in the early post-war period.”
