The St Helens Local Plan says the borough needs 570 new houses every year until 2037. But if the nearly 2,000 houses the council has already given planning permission for were built that would meet the council’s target for four years and would mean less land would need to be released from the green belt.
Following a Freedom of Information request. The council responded by saying there are 97 sites across the St Helens Borough with planning permission for 3,171 houses. Of those 1,135 have been completed and 212 houses are under construction.That means building work hasn’t even begun on more than half of the houses with planning permission in St Helens, seriously undermining claims from the council that demand is so great that a green belt land release is needed.
That means building work hasn’t even begun on more than half of the houses with planning permission in St Helens, seriously undermining claims from the council that demand is so great that a green belt land release is needed.James Wright, chair of Rainford Action Group, said: “It’s becoming clearer by the day that the justification to take land out of the green belt for housing development in St Helens doesn’t exist.“If housing demand was as high as St Helens Council claims, why aren’t developers rushing to build the houses they already have planning permission for? The answer is obvious; there isn’t the demand and that means there’s no reason to build on the green belt.”
Rainford Action Group is one of several campaign groups around the borough set up in response to the council’s hugely controversial Local Plan.
Within the last week more than 400 people joined a rally outside St Helens Town Hall to protest against the plans.
In its submission to the council’s consultation, Rainford Action Group questioned why green belt land had to be sacrificed when there are more than 3,500 empty properties in St Helens Borough. It also described the council’s population growth and housing need figures as inflated.
Since the consultation has closed, St Helens Council has sought to use the council’s financial challenges as justification for its green belt grab. Councillor John Fulham, who is in charge of the Local Plan, told ITV News last week that “without the extra housing the authority can’t make up for government cuts to its funding”.
The Council need to understand that the people of St. Helens aren't going to take 'No' for an answer.
With thanks to Rainford Action Group
