Don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone

In the January 6 Advertiser, one letter noted that building on the green belt is all about money, but according to RBWM, building on the greenbelt may also be the solution to the environment emergency! Hard to believe (I don’t), but:

For planning application 20/01779/OUT at Honey Lane in Hurley, the Maidenhead Development Control Panel report dated October 20 2021, paragraph 9.70 concluded that the (DEFRA 3.0) Biodiversity

Impact Calculation demonstrates that the proposed development (to build 26 dwellings on 2.3 hectares of the greenbelt currently covered in willow trees, frequented by deer, with confirmed sightings of grass snakes and removing an established, decades old hedge), will result in a 15.63 per cent net gain in biodiversity units and 21.21 per cent net gain in hedgerow units at the site, which will make a positive contribution to local biodiversity.

Given that the current environment emergency has arisen during a period when emphasis has been placed on abstract calculation, rather than local knowledge, maybe it’s time for RBWM to consider if reliance on those tools has helped or hindered the emergency.

In addition RBWM (and others who think it’s OK to build on the green belt) need to ask themselves what message they are sending to our international neighbours.

On one hand we want them to stop clearing their green belts for financial gain in order to protect our climate and environmen.

But at the same time we reserve the right to build on our greenbelts.

It’s not too late to re-think these decisions and find more environmentally friendly solutions, but when the green belt is gone, it may be too late.

DAVID SMITH Honey Lane

Hurley