Get Tough on Developers, not our Greenbelt

County Durham Liberal Democrats are demanding a tougher line on housing developers, who keep seeking to build new homes on the greenbelt despite already sitting on planning permission for 12,962 uncompleted houses in County Durham. Nationally, around one million homes have planning permission but have yet to be built, creating further demand on greenbelt sites.

Stricter rules on the developers would take away pressure to approve planning permission on greenbelt sites while still meeting County Durham's high demand for affordable, social and family housing. 

You can sign our petition and support Liberal Democrat councillors in demanding that:

• The priority in County Durham is for affordable, social and family housing on brownfield sites
• Local authorities need stronger powers to tackle stalled developments and land banking so planning permission should result in timely housing delivery, not speculation and demand.
• Communities should benefit from approved developments without unnecessary delay.
• The Government should investigate a range of measures including "Use it or lose it" planning permissions; financial penalties for unreasonable delays; compulsory purchase of long-stalled sites at existing-use value; owners to transfer stalled sites to alternative developers, housing associations or council-owned companies.