An article by the Financial Times' editorial board which says that "building on the greenbelt must be an option" to tackle the housing crisis.
The article says that "building in areas of high demand will be essential to fix the housing crisis". It adds: "Whoever forms the next government needs to make a credible commitment to new housing. That means explaining where exactly homes will be built and making sure infrastructure is in place. It means finding a way to overcome residents’ objections. Building on the greenbelt must be an option.
Plans for developments on the edge of the Black Country have sparked fury and led to campaigns to try and stop them.
But council leaders in South Staffordshire say they will have no choice but to allow developers to build on some green belt land.
More than 8,000 homes are expected to be built in the district over the next two decades to help towards meeting the housing demand for the wider region.
A plan to build 1,300 homes at the 240-acre Seven Cornfields site near Wolverhampton has proved the most contentious. There is also anger about proposals for 600 homes near The Straits, Lower Gornal.
A review of protected green belt land in Amber Valley, Derby and South Derbyshire could be carried out.
This week, Tony Sylvester, head of planning at South Derbyshire District Council, said that a joint green belt land review would most likely take place across the three authority areas.
These areas are those governed by Amber Valley Borough Council, Derby City Council and South Derbyshire District Council.
Mr Sylvester sai,d during a meeting of the district council’s environment committee on Monday, November 25: “This might influence where we allocate sites which would be considered for development.