Save Greenbelt Protest - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Save Greenbelt Protest – LEIGH Greens will join the ‘Save Bournes Greenbelt’ protest on Saturday 9th August, 11am–1pm outside the Odeon on Southend High Street.

Save Greenbelt Protest - LEIGH Greens will join the ‘Save Bournes Greenbelt’ protest on Saturday 9th August, 11am–1pm outside the Odeon on Southend High Street.

LEIGH Greens will join the ‘Save Bournes Greenbelt’ protest on Saturday 9^th August, 11am–1pm outside the Odeon on Southend High Street.

Protesters will be opposing plans to build 10,000 homes on protected farmland north of the city.

Coun Stuart Allen, Green Party Councillor for Leigh Ward, says that the land is vital Class 1 farmland and is needed more than ever as climate change threaten food supplies across Europe.

The councillors are urging residents to take part in the Local Plan consultation before 31 September, and particularly Section 3b, arguing: “we can stop this, just as Castle Point did.”

The Southend Green Party will be joining the Save Bournes Green Chase Greenbelt demonstration on Saturday 9th August, taking a stand against plans to build 10,000 new homes on Greenbelt land to the north of the city.

The protest will feature speeches from campaigners and community voices opposed to the New Towns Taskforce proposals being part of Southend’s Local Plan.

Coun Allen said: “According to our own Local Plan, this is prime farmland, the best quality agricultural land we have.

“It should be growing food, not buried under concrete. As climate disasters across Europe threaten harvests, we’ll need this land more than ever for our own food security.”

Simon Gittus, Green Party Campaigner added: “There are still plenty of brownfield sites across Southend that could be built upon.

“The Greenbelt was created to stop this kind of unchecked sprawl, yet now it’s under direct threat from a plan that doesn’t even count towards the Government’s official housing targets.

“We also need to get real. Southend’s geography makes these top-down housing numbers unrealistic and damaging. The administration should be telling the Labour Government it’s impossible to deliver these numbers created by some random algorithm.”

Coun Allen urged residents to respond to the Local Plan consultation before it closes on 30th September, particularly Section 3b, where the proposal for a new settlement is outlined, adding: “Castle Point residents fought off similar plans, and we can do the same.

“But we need people to speak up, now.”

The Local Plan consultation can be accessed at localplan.southend.gov.uk. See https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/southend-new-local-plan for more details.

The Green Party has made clear it will continue to challenge any attempt to develop Southend’s Greenbelt.

A number of other events are being held, including one at Leigh Community Centre on Tuesday 12th August, between 4pm and 7pm.

Picture: Green Party Members attending a previous Bournes Green Chase Protest.

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