An MP and local campaign group have hit back at Labour leader Keir Starmer's pledge to increase housing developments on Green Belt land. 

Keir Starmer said he would make Labour "the party of housebuilding" if successful in next year's general election during an interview with The Times last week. 

Green Belt land currently makes up over 12% of land in England and is at the centre of an ongoing conflict between developers keen to make use of the space and groups focused on slowing down mass urbanisation. 

Mr Starmer said a Labour government would relax restrictions on Green Belt development to create more affordable housing across the UK.

However, campaign group Save Marlow's Green Belt and local conservative MP Joy Morrissey have hit back at these plans, with Mrs Morrissey branding the pledge "a sacrifice of our national heritage". 

She added: "The Green Belt is a vital resource for both environmental sustainability and the wellbeing of our residents. Mr Starmer has failed to provide solutions that are environmentally and practically sound, wishing to disregard our treasured Green Belt for the sake of political gain.

"We must explore alternative solutions - it is essential to prioritise brownfield sites and underutilised land to maximise housing potential while safeguarding our Green Belt."

Sam Kershaw, speaking on behalf of campaign group Save Marlow's Green Belt, added that while he recognised the need for affordable housing, he does not think the solution lies in relaxing Green Belt restrictions.

"The Green Belt is primarily intended to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.

"We believe the current strategic approach, of a local authority deciding whether Green Belt areas continue to be necessary, is preferable to relaxed regulations because it considers the concerns of local people."

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Mr Starmer's comments come amid a steep decline in home ownership in the UK. According to asset management company Schroders, the average house currently costs around nine times the average income, with prices the highest they have been for over 150 years. 

Despite pressure to address the crisis, Rishi Sunak instead dropped mandatory housing targets and introduced enhanced protection for Green Belt land in December 2022. 

Speaking to Conservative Home in April, the Prime Minister said he was focused on improving Local Plans and strengthening council-held powers.

"What I have heard consistently from our councillors and our members is that they don't want a nationally imposed top-down set of targets telling them what to do.

"We want to build the right homes and the right number of homes and build them in the right places and the right way, which means putting local people at the heart of that process."