Given current development pressures in the area, should the Green Belt remain wholly intact?
No. We hope that a review of the fundamental purposes of the Green Belt will reveal that there are opportunities to change its boundaries to enable more housing to be built. There are two main reasons for this: (a) Pressure on housing in the City is forcing up house prices to the extent that those on low or medium incomes cannot afford to live in Cambridge. This is forcing people to live well beyond the Green Belt and commute into the City. Moreover, we need 4000 new houses to accommodate families currently living in overcrowded conditions. We believe that development in parts of the existing Green Belt, including a high proportion of affordable and social housing, would help to stabilise prices and increase social equity. (b) Housing should be near jobs, promoting a more sustainable lifestyle and causing less congestion and pollution. One of the City’s main problems is the environmental impact of commuter traffic. It is important for the region – and the country as a whole – that we m
