Louie French MP's latest column in the News Shopper.
Bexley is a wonderful place to live because it's so green. Welling is surrounded by open spaces, from East Wickham to Danson Park. Sidcup has an array of award winning gardens, parks and playfields. Old Bexley enjoys swathes of preserved countryside and meadows. It's these spaces that give Bexley its special character, being close to London, but with its history and soul closely linked to Kent.
But it's under threat from Labour's planning reforms. One of the Government's first acts was to tear up green belt protections, and now Sadiq Khan has dropped his manifesto to protect our green spaces. Shockingly, even Reform's most senior politician in City Hall has gotten into bed with the mayor to build on green spaces, voting against a Conservative bid to protect Bexley's greenery.
The most concerning part of the Government's plans is its new 'grey belt' definition. When first described, ministers said it would cover previously developed land; the few morsels of green belt land that, for one reason or another, are no longer pristine. Campaigners point to disused petrol stations, car parks, and dilapidated buildings as examples of the problem. On the face of it, this seems reasonable. However, Labour's rules apply far more widely than this.
Grey belt isn't just previously developed land, but a way to chip away at swathes of green belt. Developers are attempting to use these rules to build extensive industrial battery storage facilities on the green belt surrounding Bexley Village and North Cray. One developer is arguing that high-quality farmland is 'grey belt', and another says untouched nature-rich grassland is 'grey belt' — no previous development, both green fields. It's a sign of what's to come.
Neighbouring residents are rightly concerned by these proposals. More than 280 have objected to the North Cray site, and over 80 have said no to the Dartford Road location so far. The green land surrounding Bexley Village and North Cray preserves the area's special semi-rural character and village feel home to many horses and even some cows. Installing effectively 200 storage containers on green fields would be a significant blow to the area, not least given the fire risk near hundreds of homes.
A year ago, this wouldn't have been possible under planning law. No 'grey belt' loophole allowed developers to challenge protections for green fields. The applications would have been rejected immediately. But under Labour, the door is open to inappropriate development. While some argue that this is critical infrastructure, it overlooks the fact that there are zero benefits to Bexley residents and this part of the energy pipeline is already oversubscribed according to industry experts.
These proposals illustrate my concern with Labour's planning reforms. They shifted attention away from developing brownfield sites and densifying areas near infrastructure toward green fields. Developers argue they can deliver hundreds of thousands of homes without encroaching on green fields in London. Instead of unlocking this land, Labour is frustrating this development with taxes and red tape.
What the Government fails to understand is that once our green and pleasant land is gone, it’s gone forever — all while brownfield sites sit undeveloped. We must fight back.