As a member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee I contributed to a report on national planning policy which was published at the start of April. The report comes at a time when Greater Manchester Combined Authority is working on its spatial framework which aims to identify suitable sites for housing and growth across the city region including here in Stockport. It recognises that there are an estimated 49,000 hectares of brownfield land in England of which around half is suitable for the development of new housing – enough for approximately 1 million homes to be built. That is why I was deeply concerned by the GMCA’s revised proposals, released in March, which showed that many of the potential sites for Cheadle lie in the Green Belt. As well as the recently refused plan to build on Chesters Croft, the Green Belt is under pressure from other development proposals including: the Seashell Trust plans to build 325 houses in Heald Green and the potential for 165 homes to be built on the Defence Business Services site near Total Fitness leisure centre. Whilst I appreciate there is a need for more houses to be built, development must be in the right places and brownfield sites should be prioritised over the Green Belt. I am clear in my view that our Green Belt land should continue to be protected so it remains for generations to come. Green Belt once lost is lost forever.