Please write to Michael Gove today, starting your letter with “I object to this disposal” then in your own words state why you object. Find more details on how to object below.
The land in question is Round Coppice Estate and Mansfield Farm, Iver, Buckinghamshire and is the site of a proposed Motorway Service Area.
This is a case where numbers of letters does matter as demonstrating high numbers of supporters of the Green Belt equates to potential votes at future elections. Michael Gove is not obliged to agree to Buckinghamshire Council’s request to dispose of the land and he may take a more informed and balanced view about the benefits of the Green Belt than Bucks has.
Your objection does not need to be lengthy but you might want to use some of the following pointers, which are all legitimate grounds to object under the 1938 Green Belt Act.
- This land in the green belt was purchased by Buckinghamshire County Council in the 1930’s with the purpose to maintain in perpetuity the separation of the urban areas of Uxbridge and Iver. Disposing of it for development would breach the Green Belt to the west of London at one of its narrowest points.
- It is agricultural land which is vital for feeding the nation now and into the future
- Disposal of this land is in contravention of the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938 which was enacted to preserve and protect open land in and around London. The land at Mansfield Farm currently serves this purpose and if disposed of for commercial development would no longer be able to do so.
- The land was purchased with taxes raised from local residents and should not be disposed off for short term profit with no benefit to local residents.
- The Secretary of State should refuse this application or should hold an inquiry before making a decision.
- If, following a suitable inquiry, the Secretary of State agrees to the disposal then he must direct that all funding received by Buckinghamshire Council be allocated to benefit local residents as provided for in Section 25 of the Act (including the benefits for people and wildlife of what remains of the Green Belt in this part of the Colne Valley Regional Park).
Objections can only be made in writing and should be sent to the following address by 31st October:
The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for levelling-up, Housing and Communities, c/o the planning casework unit, 23 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, B2 4BH
If for whatever reason you are unable to post a letter, please email your objections to [email protected] or [email protected] as soon as possible and we will collate and send along with our objections. Please note that it must be in the format of a letter to be heard, so please include your full name and home address.
Bucks Advertiser from 1950 shows that Buckinghamshire Council purchased 384 acres of land near Uxbridge for the ‘bargain’ price of £16k (equivalent to just £450k today). One of the reasons this was sold to the council at such a low cost was to ensure its preservation for the future.
