Good land-use planning is the unsung hero of environmental protection. Good planning can help slow the growth in road traffic, encourage urban regeneration, curb urban sprawl, protect the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside and safeguard wildlife habitats.
Planning decisions affect us all, yet we often have very little input. We want planning to be fairer, engage communities and protect the countryside as well as regenerate our towns and villages.
England’s Green Belts provide a breath of fresh air for 45 million people and stop towns from sprawling into the countryside. But they are under threat from the pressure of new developments.
Everyone needs a place to live, but the way in which this is being done means that urban sprawl is nibbling away at our green spaces. Developers should be making more use of previously developed sites within our towns.