Labour Councillor Urged Party to Back Green Belt Housing in Areas Less Likely to Support It

A Labour councillor who represents Potters Bar on Hertsmere Council in Hertfordshire reportedly sent messages urging fellow Labour members to support housing developments on green belt land in areas considered less supportive of the party. The messages, sent in July 2024, warned that a 900-home application known as PB3 would cost the party control of the council.

The councillor wrote that members should stop protecting certain sites and instead plan developments where the party could not win seats.

The messages emerged weeks after Hertsmere released its local plan, which places thousands of homes at risk of being built on land previously designated green belt under revised government regulations. A separate 195-home development on green belt land near Radlett was rejected three times by the council before a government planning inspector overruled the decision.

Labour currently controls Hertsmere Council in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats on a slim majority. A spokesperson for the Hertsmere Labour group said the leaked conversation was historic and had no relation to the current local plan.

Reactions The former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister who serves as MP for the area described the messages as deeply concerning if legitimate. He said they suggested a politically motivated approach to planning that prioritises partisan interests over preservation of the green belt.

A spokesperson for the Hertsmere Labour group stated that political discussions on group chats were healthy and legitimate but played no role in formal council decision-making.