I have long argued about the need to protect Green Belt land. It is a principle I stood for at my election in 2019, and one I continue to defend today.
And, I make no apology for putting forward the concerns of local residents as part of these discussion – whether it is on the Green Belt or any other subject. That is the role of an MP.
By working together as a community, we have opposed speculative Green Belt development applications in Brittains Lane and Ashgrove Road and prevented illegal development from taking hold on Wheatsheaf Hill in Halstead; and supported the creation of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) on the Vine, following recent incidents of antisocial behaviour.
It is if course imperative that we build homes for local people, but we must protect the Green Belt, and ensure new homes come with the right infrastructure for communities living here. That is why we have developed Brownfield Land and in Swanley we have seen new homes built by the new leisure centre and at Meeting Point. And, in the not too distant future, development will being at the Tarmac Quarry site in Sevenoaks, where eventually nearly 1,000 new homes will be built, with added leisure facilities for all residents to enjoy.
But with homes must come infrastructure to support them, and that is why in my time as MP I have fought for improved infrastructure to go with these homes. This includes my successful campaign to secure the fast line through Swanley to London, the rebuilding of Orchards Academy, and the proposed new SEN school in Swanley. For the Tarmac Quarry site I am calling for early delivery of the roundabout at Bat & Ball, and the opportunity for sewage enhancements for those in the immediate Greatness area.
We still need more GP facilities, to deal with the ever-increasing population. And, more grammar school places. But, we are lucky to live in an area that is 93% Green Belt. Green Belt land is rightly protected, and if a speculative planning application is put in for the Green Belt, without public support, the answer should be no.
As your MP I will always work with and for the community to defend our precious green spaces from unwanted development whilst ensuring responsible development to get the houses people need.
If you have any concerns you wish to raise with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch with my office at [email protected].
Laura Trott
MP for Sevenoaks and Swanley
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