Evidence Suggests There Is Enough Land In Urban Areas Without Touching The Greenbelt
Even if you accept Sefton’s figures for housing demand, what the Council have not proven is that development in the Green Belt is needed to satisfy this demand. Sefton claim that only about half the new houses could be built in the existing urban area but this ignores additional building land that can be gained from regeneration of existing brownfield land – including land that was once used but is now derelict. Sefton’s arguments also ignore about 6000 empty properties in the Borough. When ALL development opportunities are included, there does appear to be enough land in the urban areas of Sefton for the houses that we’re told we need.
The challenge for us as residents is to win this argument so that we can protect the Grade 1 agricultural land in the Green Belt that is currently under threat.