Campaign to Protect Rural England today revealed that thirteen councils covering medium sized and larger towns (40,000 plus people) built less than one third – or 33.3% – of new homes on brownfield land. (1)
The Government's national target is for at least 60 per cent of all new homes to be provided through building on brownfield land or by converting existing buildings. (2)
Green Party Principal Speaker Keith Taylor commented: "Greenfield land is a precious resource, and it's high time local authorities stopped squandering and frittering it away when brownfield sites are available. It is time we began living within our means.
"If everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK we would need three planets to support us. We're using up the earth's resources far faster than it can replace them, and we can't carry on doing that. (3)
"The Green Party have long recognised the need for 'one planet living.' It is time all political leaders ensured the right framework was in place, enabling us to live on the earth as though we mean to stay. This means local sourcing of goods and foods - cutting back on unnecessary freight and passenger transport, shifting from a carbon based to a renewables based economy, and an end to profligate and damaging energy wastage - including putting a stop to massive aviation expansion.
