Coventry North West MP Taiwo Owatemi writes for the Observer.
IN OCTOBER, I secured and delivered an important debate in Parliament to discuss the impact of large-scale developments built on our treasured green spaces across Coventry.
This issue impacts many communities, so I have been campaigning relentlessly since being elected as your MP in 2019.
I used this debate to speak up for communities in Allesley, Keresley, Holbrooks and Eastern Green.
I put on record their frustration at hundreds of unaffordable homes being built on our green spaces.
I also made clear it is wholly unacceptable to build these homes without the extra infrastructure and public services urgently needed.
Time and again, I have seen homes built without a GP surgery, public transport links, broadband or adequate roads to support them.
Far too often, greedy developers look to trash Coventry’s green spaces and maximise profits, only to then pass the buck whenever something goes wrong.
During the debate, I made crystal-clear existing planning and development rules need a complete overhaul so we can put power into the hands of local people and not developers.
I firmly believe communities in Coventry and their local councillors, know far more about our housing needs than a few developers.
In Coventry, we need family-sized and genuinely affordable homes built on brownfield sites, on disused land or in empty buildings.
What we do not want is more unaffordable houses needlessly built on the green belt.
I also took the opportunity to raise my serious concerns about this Conservative government, which is receiving tens of millions of pounds from wealthy developers in the form of political donations.
I made clear this dodgy set-up must come to an end if we are ever to hold wealthy developers to account.
To close my remarks, I once again put on record the importance of protecting popular open spaces in Coventry – including Coundon Wedge.
I will continue to do everything I can to protect this much-loved open space from future needless development.
Coventry’s open spaces should not be bulldozed because of a broken planning system and developers’ greed.
Of course, this issue will not go away any time soon.
I will continue to call upon this government and the big developers to listen to our heartfelt concerns and urge them to stop needlessly building on our cherished green spaces.
Thank you to every constituent and campaigner who has been in touch recently about protecting our green spaces, your ideas and thoughts ahead of the debate made a real difference.
Taiwo Owatemi
MP for Coventry North West
