London Banter - View Single Post - Why did the Metropolitan Railway go to Verney Junction?

Optimist

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:46:27 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:09:54 +0100
Optimist wrote:
act prevents building on green fields. Only 7.5% of the UKs land mass is
settled and that figure includes green spaces and gardens which brings
masonry on land to about 2.5%. Ignore right-wing propaganda that we are
concreting over the Countryside.

England already has over 400 people per square kilometre, one of the most
crowded in Europe. As we have to import much
of our food, we are vulnerable to worldwide food shortages. Over-development
is causing problems with the hydrology, as
heavy rainfall is flushed out to sea rather than recharge the aquifers. Much
of the undeveloped land is not suitable
for building on, unless you propose to put new towns on moorland and on the
Pennines. Opinion in this country is

Careful, you're trying to argue with a lefty using facts. They don't like
that and get all confused. Bluster, dogma and empty rhetoric they're much
more comfortable with.

We should be making sure that empty homes are brought back into occupation
(compulsorily after a year, say), and

Agreed.

discourage the growth of population by limiting child benefit to two children
per family and reducing immigration to
below the emigration rate.

Cue mass wailing from Liberty and similar human rights bed wetters.

B2003

Labour's attitude to open spaces is best summed up by John Prescott in a radio interview in January 1998 :

"The green belt is a Labour achievement, and we mean to build on it."