OPINION
Sadiq Khan is under fire by the Tories over Labour's latest greenbelt plans (Image: Getty)
Our green belt is under threat. We can only lose it once. Losing it will forever alter the environment of our great city. The green belt are not just the lungs of London, the beautiful open and green space – made up of farms, fields and woodland – not only helps keep our air clean, but also offers huge physical and mental health benefits.
This isn’t just an Outer London issue. Concreting over the green belt means it will take longer and be more difficult for those in Inner London to reach these beautiful spaces. That is why the battle to save the green belt is raging across Greater London, from resident association meetings in public halls to council chambers.
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Sponsored
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Affordable Elegance: Best SUV Options for Smart ShoppersVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
GB News host Ben Leo loses it in on-air Labour rant as he furiously calls out 'agenda'
42 Comments
Man Utd run into 'new ￡2bn stadium hurdle' as major doubts over Old Trafford exit grow
2 Comments
Labour civil war as Sadiq Khan could use taxpayers' money to fight Heathrow expansion
78 Comments
Concerns over supermarket tax raid as drinks face price hike of up to 18p per bottle
3 Comments
Martin Lewis shares UK energy prices prediction if Donald Trump seals Ukraine peace deal
50 Comments
Rachel Reeves headache as Thames Water faces nationalisation days before Spring Statement
32 Comments
'Radical' NHS shake-up could see half of central roles cut
63 Comments
Las Vegas: Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Drivers set to 'snub' ￡2.2bn UK tunnel weeks before it even opens
8 Comments
Fury as Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion causes high street sales to plummet
46 Comments
Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The new 'rainwater' project aimed at cleaning up England's largest lake
2 Comments
Rachel Reeves' 60 new changes to try and revive UK economy and cut red tape
16 Comments
Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Martin Lewis warns Brits 6 major price hikes are all coming from April 1
1 Comments
Labour savaged over Angela Rayner's 'perverse' plan that could hit farmers
205 Comments
Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later [Video]Health Benefits
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
The Worst Thing You Could Do For Your Nail Fungus (And What Actually Helps)Okita Nail Fungus Light Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
The Worst Thing You Could Do For Your Nail Fungus (And What Actually Helps)Okita Nail Fungus Light Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
GB News host Ben Leo loses it in on-air Labour rant as he furiously calls out 'agenda'
42 Comments
Las Vegas: Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Man Utd run into 'new ￡2bn stadium hurdle' as major doubts over Old Trafford exit grow
2 Comments
Labour civil war as Sadiq Khan could use taxpayers' money to fight Heathrow expansion
78 Comments
Las Vegas: Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Concerns over supermarket tax raid as drinks face price hike of up to 18p per bottle
3 Comments
Martin Lewis shares UK energy prices prediction if Donald Trump seals Ukraine peace deal
50 Comments
Topical Roll-On Stick: Chronic Pain's New EnemyMy Health Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Rachel Reeves headache as Thames Water faces nationalisation days before Spring Statement
32 Comments
'Radical' NHS shake-up could see half of central roles cut
63 Comments
Drivers set to 'snub' ￡2.2bn UK tunnel weeks before it even opens
8 Comments
Fury as Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion causes high street sales to plummet
46 Comments
The new 'rainwater' project aimed at cleaning up England's largest lake
2 Comments
Rachel Reeves' 60 new changes to try and revive UK economy and cut red tape
16 Comments
Martin Lewis warns Brits 6 major price hikes are all coming from April 1
1 Comments
Labour savaged over Angela Rayner's 'perverse' plan that could hit farmers
205 Comments
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
READ MORE: Labour's green plans torn apart as 'devastated' family faces 'uncertain future'
Assembly member Thomas Turrell writes for the Express (Image: Thomas Turrell)
Yet where is London’s Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, in this battle? His actions contradict his words. He talks about the importance of the green belt, yet his agencies like Transport for London (TfL) are trying to force councils to build on popular and well-used parks.
Since Labour came to power nationally, the Mayor of London seems to have lost his voice. Instead, he now parrots government lines like a broken record, refusing to stand up or speak up for London.
I represent Bexley and Bromley (the Garden of London) at City Hall. The green belt is part of the DNA of the communities I represent.
Sponsored
Visionery Echo Learn More
Meal Delivery for Seniors: Easy, Nutritious, and Hassle -Free Options
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
This is why for months, alongside my colleague Alessandro Georgiou, I have been scrutinising the Mayor’s increasingly aggressive stance on developing greenbelt land.
Transport for London has been quietly pushing plans to concrete over vast swathes of protected countryside, all while claiming to be a champion of environmental causes. We’ve questioned the Mayor to his face, we’ve passed motions calling on the Assembly to save green belt land, and at every opportunity given to us, we have sat Sadiq Khan’s officers down to ask them why they think this is the right thing to do.
The responses have been, to say the least, unacceptable. The Mayor is not acting for Londoners, he is simply doing Sir Kier Starmer’s bidding.
Housing targets do not solve a housing crisis. Labour is sacrificing the green belt to meet arbitrary targets which often do not reflect the demand in a local area. Too many one and two-bedroom flats are being built, not enough good-sized family homes.
There is no plan to address the underlying issues in the market, such as outdated mortgage calculations, counting rent payments on credit files, sky-high deposit requirements.
It is dangerously naive to think this crisis can be solved by only building new homes alone. It doesn’t matter how many homes are built if no one can buy them.
Don't miss...
Labour savaged over Angela Rayner's 'perverse' plan that could hit farmers [LATEST]
Reeves' inheritance tax raid puts family firms on the brink in ￡14bn industry [LATEST]
Furious farmers erupt at Starmer's Brexit betrayal after halting key lifeline [LATEST]
Rachel Reeves' tax plans are under fire again (Image: Getty)
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The green belt is not just lovely to look at – it is important to our food security and national resilience.
One-third of London's greenbelt is productive farmland. These aren't just pretty fields for weekend ramblers – they're working landscapes that feed our city.
Labour's war on the green belt is just another front in the Government's war on farmers, who form a crucial part of our local food security network.
In Westminster and City Hall, Rachel Reeves and Sir Sadiq threaten to decimate London farming by breaking up estates with their family farm tax and forcing the land into the hands of developers looking to concrete across the city.
No thought is given to the farmers who have kept these fields for generations, no thought is given to the communities in London that will rapidly transform as green spaces erode and high-rises take their place. These short-sighted, ill-thought out policies will leave the UK more reliant on imports in an increasingly dangerous world.
Sadiq Khan has caused misery to families and businesses across Outer London by needlessly expanding ULEZ. I’ve spoken to people who can no longer get to medical appointments, families who visit each other less, businesses who have had to lay off staff, all to fund the Mayor's ￡12.50 a day drivers’ tax. The Mayor did this under the guise of improving air quality. Air quality in Outer London was already better than the rest of London because of the lungs of London – the Green Belt.
Trending
Now that same Mayor is standing by and letting his Labour mates bulldoze through plans to concrete over our vital Green Belt. The hypocrisy is staggering. This is the same Labour Party that claims to care about our environment, working people, and sustainable communities. Yet their actions tell a different story - one of concrete, construction, and contempt for rural livelihoods.
The green belt isn't just about preserving pretty views – it's about maintaining the character of our great city. It's about ensuring that future generations of Londoners can still connect with nature without having to travel hours from the capital.
During World War 2, evacuated children from London spoke about having never seen a cow before. Now we have Hamish the Highland Cow living in my constituency.
It is crucial that people from across our city have access to open and green spaces, that children learn and experience the importance of wildlife. That’s why the green belt matters so much.
It's about clean air, mental wellbeing, and the very identity of London itself. It's about supporting local businesses who farm and keep the land for future generations to enjoy as part of their communal inheritance. The sad truth is Labour just doesn't care.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
GB News host Ben Leo loses it in on-air Labour rant as he furiously calls out 'agenda'
42 Comments
Man Utd run into 'new ￡2bn stadium hurdle' as major doubts over Old Trafford exit grow
2 Comments
Labour civil war as Sadiq Khan could use taxpayers' money to fight Heathrow expansion
78 Comments
Concerns over supermarket tax raid as drinks face price hike of up to 18p per bottle
3 Comments
Martin Lewis shares UK energy prices prediction if Donald Trump seals Ukraine peace deal
50 Comments
Rachel Reeves headache as Thames Water faces nationalisation days before Spring Statement
32 Comments
'Radical' NHS shake-up could see half of central roles cut
63 Comments
Innovative Approaches To Senior Well ness: The Role Of Meal Services In Healthy AgingVisionery Echo Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Drivers set to 'snub' ￡2.2bn UK tunnel weeks before it even opens
8 Comments
Fury as Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion causes high street sales to plummet
46 Comments
Affordable Elegance: Best SUV Options for Smart ShoppersVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The new 'rainwater' project aimed at cleaning up England's largest lake
2 Comments
Rachel Reeves' 60 new changes to try and revive UK economy and cut red tape
16 Comments
Las Vegas: Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Martin Lewis warns Brits 6 major price hikes are all coming from April 1
1 Comments
Labour savaged over Angela Rayner's 'perverse' plan that could hit farmers
205 Comments
Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
Easy and Nutritious Meal Delivery Servic es for Seniors in the U.S.Visionery Echo Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
Meal Delivery for Seniors: Easy, Nutritio us, and Hassle-Free OptionsVisionery Echo Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
Innovative Approaches To Senior Wellne ss: The Role Of Meal Services In Healthy AgingVisionery Echo Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
GB News host Ben Leo loses it in on-air Labour rant as he furiously calls out 'agenda'
42 Comments
Exploring Innovative Solutions To Enhance Senior Wellness Through Meal ServicesVisionery Echo Learn More
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Man Utd run into 'new ￡2bn stadium hurdle' as major doubts over Old Trafford exit grow
2 Comments
Labour civil war as Sadiq Khan could use taxpayers' money to fight Heathrow expansion
78 Comments
Affordable Elegance: Best SUV Options for Smart ShoppersVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Concerns over supermarket tax raid as drinks face price hike of up to 18p per bottle
3 Comments
Martin Lewis shares UK energy prices prediction if Donald Trump seals Ukraine peace deal
50 Comments
Las Vegas: Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo Search Now
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Rachel Reeves headache as Thames Water faces nationalisation days before Spring Statement
32 Comments
'Radical' NHS shake-up could see half of central roles cut
63 Comments
Drivers set to 'snub' ￡2.2bn UK tunnel weeks before it even opens
8 Comments
Fury as Sadiq Khan's ULEZ expansion causes high street sales to plummet
46 Comments
The new 'rainwater' project aimed at cleaning up England's largest lake
2 Comments
Rachel Reeves' 60 new changes to try and revive UK economy and cut red tape
16 Comments
Martin Lewis warns Brits 6 major price hikes are all coming from April 1
1 Comments
Labour savaged over Angela Rayner's 'perverse' plan that could hit farmers
205 Comments
The 7 word message for Keir Starmer from furious farmer that can only be seen from the sky
5 Comments
Rachel Reeves accused of 'attack on disabled' as claimants say cuts will risk lives
149 Comments
The quiet seaside town becoming UK's Las Vegas as locals hit back at 24-hour casino
16 Comments
Paul Scholes raises Sir Jim Ratcliffe doubts with Man Utd owner accused of 'begging'
Comments
The new UK railway mega-project that's set to give ￡7bn boost to UK economy
13 Comments
Ofgem has handed its staff record bonus payments totalling ￡5.1million
2 Comments
Donald Trump humiliated after US begs Europe for eggs as prices soar in America
97 Comments
Top Modular Home Trends for 2025 – Take a lookVisionery Echo
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Meal Delivery for Seniors: Easy, Nutritious, and...Visionery Echo
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Easy and Nutritious Meal Delivery Services for...Visionery Echo
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Exploring Innovative Solutions To Enhance...Visionery Echo
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Labour’s plans fail farmers, fail families, fail young people, fail workers. Labour’s plans fail. They fail to address the underlying issues in the housing market. Fail to protect our environment. Failings that mean woodlands become tower blocks.
Just like with the human body, if Labour cuts out the lungs of London then the capital will be severely weakened. We can only lose it once.
Thomas Turrell is a Conservative London Assembly member