Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during a visit to a New Charter Housing development in Ashton [Image: Manchester Evening News].

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has cast doubt on the government’s claim the green belt is ‘safe in its hands’.

Mr Corbyn urged ministers not to allow developers to ravage protected green spaces and push them to build homes on former industrial land, which is often more expensive to turn around.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid [has insisted that] councils will have to ‘categorically’ prove they’ve exhausted all other options before developing protected green sites.

Asked whether he believed the government’s claim that the green belt is ‘safe in its hands’, [Mr Corbyn] said: “I’m not sure I believe them.

“I do think planning that involves open spaces is very important and I do think we should be looking to develop often difficult sites than relatively easy sites in the green belt.

“I think we have to put a bit more pressure on developers to make sure they do go onto brownfield sites.

“Developing a polluted site is expensive and complicated, but it’s got to be done. We can’t just leave places to waste.

“I think we should protect the green belt. It’s there for a purpose.”

Source: Jeremy Corbyn casts doubt on government’s claim that green belt is safe

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