'WE don't all want to be looking like Birmingham' was the message from a councillor this week who said Wycombe's Green Belt must not be eroded by housing targets.

A report outlining the key issues on housing, development and planning which will shape Wycombe district's future was debated on Tuesday night.

But at the first meeting of Wycombe District Council's new top Cabinet team since the May elections, Cllr Audrey Jones expressed unhappiness at the lack of reference to Green Belt issues.

The report – the planning policy work programme – looked at various planning and development issues arising from the Coalition's Localism proposals.

Cllr Jones said: “It should be mentioned in light of the fact that the report talks a lot about housing targets.

“There's an underlying feeling that there's pressure on us to increase our housing stock.

The Cabinet Member for Environment said: “I'm anxious that when it comes to it we look at housing need, not what people want, but what the need is.”

She added: “We don't all want to be looking like Birmingham.”

Cllr Jean Teesdale, Cabinet Member for Democratic, Legal and Policy, said she was also “very concerned”.

She emphasised that protecting Green Belt is a key plank of Conservative “ideology”.

Messages from different Government departments and Ministers have been mixed, she said, adding WDC need to make clear “there will be a mutiny” if Green Belt policy was threatened at all.

Acknowledging the points on Central Government, Cabinet Member for planning Cllr Hugh McCarthy said: “We need to find out what's going on here without doubt this authority needs to look after it's Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

He said Wycombe's position, with 70 per cent AONB or Green Belt, is “rather unique”, which had been recognised in the previous South East plan.

He tried to reassure his Tory colleagues concerns on the report by pledging to try to “toughen it up a bit”.

But he stressed it was “difficult”.

Cllr McCarthy said, ultimately, all of the inter-related polices “have to hang together”.

Leader Cllr Alex Collingwood agreed, saying striking a balance between the needs of the various departments was key.