Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, has come out strongly against a plan to build a caravan park on green belt land in her constituency.
A planning application has been submitted to Barnet Council to open a caravan park for residential use in a field next to Mays Lane, near Whitings Hill Open Space. The land is currently used to graze horses.
Commenting on the plans, Ms Villiers said "This proposal is completely unacceptable. It goes against fundamental principles of planning law to let green belt land be developed for residential use without an extremely strong and exception reason for doing that. No exceptional circumstances apply here which could possibly justify the council allowing this proposal to go ahead."
"I've submitted my objection to the planning process and I am encouraging my constituents to do this as well. The green belt has protected London from urban sprawl for many decades. If planning applications like this one are accepted, that tears a big hole in this protection, and I hope councillors sitting on the council's planning committee will throw it out."
"I'm also concerned about reports of caravan park owners abusing planning laws and extending their sites without permission - another good reason not to allow this development to happen."
"The fields around Mays Lane are part of an important wildlife corridor which would be jeopardised by allowing a caravan park to go ahead. Also, the road and pedestrian infrastructure around this site is completely inadequate to support new residential use. There isn't even a footway."
Theresa Villiers and local campaigners are encouraging residents to send in their views on the planning application by going to: https://publicaccess.barnet.gov.uk/online-applications/ and entering the reference 23/3816/FUL in the Search box. The deadline is 6th October.
