Countryfile host: Green belt means people live too far from cities to commute by bike
GREEN belt protection is stopping people from cycling to work, a Countryfile presenter has complained.
Tom Heap said that the green belt has made life harder for commuters, claiming it has a “perverse” effect on would-be cyclists.
Speaking ahead of Countryfile Live, Mr Heap described the green belt as “the most incredible success story in shaping the way the British countryside looks today”. He added, however, that by limiting house-building, it has led to “perverse results”.
Citing Oxford as an example, Heap argued that the green belt had forced would-be cycling commuters to use other modes of transport. Mr Heap said: “You can’t live within what would be a cycling distance because you can’t build within the green belt. So there are some perverse results.”
In the 2011 census, 100,000 people had their main job in Oxford, but 46,000 of them lived outside the city. Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford city council, said: “Oxford is in the midst of a housing crisis, affecting all sections of our city.
“Therefore sustainable urban extensions … are a necessary part of the solution.”
Kate Gordon, a planning expert at Friends of the Earth, said: “Without the green belt we could see London follow the example of Los Angeles, and stretch all the way to Brighton – creating urban sprawl, pollution and congestion.
“Rather than develop on green belt land, we need to create more employment opportunities outside of city centres and closer to where people live.”
Mr Heap agreed with Ellie Harrison, his fellow Countryfile presenter, who said: “It’s worth remembering that brownfield sites are incredibly beneficial for wildlife. It isn’t always just that ex-industrial sites are the ones to plonk houses on.”
BBC Countryfile Live runs from Aug 2 to 5 at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.