The wrong homes in the wrong place: why Hasland’s green fields must be protected

Everyone deserves a safe, warm and genuinely affordable home. But meeting that need must not become an excuse for pushing inappropriate housing estates onto valued green field sites while brownfield land, empty homes and poor-quality existing stock are left underused. Green Party policy is clear: the answer to the housing crisis is not simply “more houses anywhere”, but the right homes, in the right place, at the right price, built to high environmental standards and shaped by local communities.

The proposal being considered for land on either side of Furnace Hillock Way in Hasland illustrates exactly why this approach matters. Reports on the North East Derbyshire Local Plan consultation have identified the land around Furnace Hillock Way as a potential location for around 800 homes. That scale of development would not be a minor adjustment to the edge of Hasland; it would be a major expansion with significant consequences for landscape, traffic, services, wildlife and the character of the area.

Green fields are not empty spaces waiting to be filled. They provide food-growing capacity, absorb rainfall, store carbon, support biodiversity and give residents access to open views and breathing space. Once they are built over, they are lost for generations. At a time of climate breakdown and nature decline, planning decisions should strengthen local resilience, not weaken it.

A Green approach would begin by asking tougher questions. Have all suitable brownfield sites been identified and prioritised? Can derelict, vacant or previously developed land be brought back into use first? Are empty properties being tackled? Will new homes be genuinely affordable, including social rented homes, or will the development mainly deliver market housing beyond the reach of local people? Will schools, GP services, public transport, drainage and safe walking and cycling routes be in place before homes are occupied? Too often, large greenfield schemes are presented as inevitable because councils face pressure to meet housing numbers. But numbers alone do not create sustainable communities. Building car-dependent estates on the edge of settlements can increase congestion, strain already stretched public services and lock residents into higher transport costs. If a site cannot be served by frequent public transport, safe active travel links, local shops, schools and health services, it is not sustainable development in any meaningful sense. That is why the proposed development around Furnace Hillock Way should be treated with great caution. Local people must be listened to, not treated as an obstacle to be managed. Any assessment should fully consider ecological value, flood risk, pressure on local roads, loss of countryside, the cumulative impact of other nearby proposals and whether the development would undermine the distinct identity of Hasland and neighbouring communities.

The Green Party does not oppose housebuilding. It opposes wasteful, speculative and environmentally damaging development that fails to meet real need. We need a programme of council and social housing, upgraded existing homes, stronger action on empty properties, and a brownfield-first planning system that protects nature and gives communities a genuine voice.

Hasland deserves homes people can afford, but it also deserves clean air, accessible countryside, resilient infrastructure and decisions made for the long term. The land around Furnace Hillock Way should not be sacrificed unless every better alternative has been exhausted and unless any proposal can prove it is socially necessary, environmentally responsible and locally accountable. The housing crisis is real, but destroying green fields is not the only answer—and it is often the wrong one.