Greenbelt in St Albans in danger

Residents of UK town St Albans are congregating in order to combat the council''s plans to build 7,000 new homes on greenbelt land around the town.

Not only have these 7,000 homes been planned but residents fear that new building regulations proposed by the recent Barker review may result in further properties being developed in the district.

These buildings may be put up in the border area between Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield and would erode the area of green belt which currently separates the two towns.

Chris Brazier, a councillor for planning and conservation at the council, told local paper The Herts Advertiser: "These proposals are disastrous for the district.

"We will be urbanised and lose our identity. We must fight these proposals and campaign against them."

Residents are holding meetings throughout January and February before the council''s final decisions are made in early March.

Greenbelts are designed to protect the countryside near urban areas from being invaded by urban sprawl and to stop towns from merging into each other. They cover 13 per cent of England.


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