Last week, I joined my colleague Joy Morrisey, MP for neighbouring Beaconsfield, at the Colne Valley Regional Park in Denham. Although this sits just outside of Hillingdon, plans for development would have a substantial impact on residents. As such, I am pleased to continue my support for Joy’s ongoing work with local councillors and residents’ groups to help preserve this local asset.
Colne Valley contains large portions of agricultural greenbelt land used for farming, which is only becoming more important in safeguarding our food security. It also aims to increase biodiversity in our woodlands and waterways, as well as protecting wildlife. As the only green separation between London and South Bucks, this is a park that needs to be protected and preserved for future generations.
Sadly, infrastructure projects such as HS2 and Heathrow have already eroded the greenbelt footprint within the park, though have failed to provide any direct benefit to residents. That is why we must see reforms to the planning system to ensure that planners are looking at the cumulative impact of development on the character of a wider region, not just each application in isolation.
This ties into the work I have been doing in my role as Chair of the APPG on Housing and Planning and the contributions I have been making on behalf of residents to ongoing conversations about our national planning system. In a Westminster Hall Debate on how we can better protect our most precious habitats, I raised the concept of a ‘Wildbelt’, an idea brought forward by the Wildlife Trust. Whist details would need to be worked on some more, I said that the classification which can work in addition to the green belt would very much suit somewhere like Colne Valley. Not only would it protect this valued site for future generations, but it would also preserve the unique habitats for wildlife.
I have since met with my colleague Claire Coutinho, MP for East Surrey, to discuss ways in which we can progress the idea of a ‘Wildbelt’ with the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, in future planning legislation. I maintain that this would benefit somewhere like Colne Valley and will continue to make the argument for the park to be a test case.
Finally, I will carry on my work with Joy, local groups and colleagues in Parliament to ensure that reforms are made to planning policy that will benefit constituents in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and the surrounding areas.
