'Angela Rayner is mad if she thinks this will work': Defiant Brits mount furious defence after Labour waged 'war on rural England' by unveiling 'bulldozer blitz' on Green Belt
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Defiant Brits living on the frontline of Labour's 'war on rural England' have mounted a furious defence after Angela Rayner unveiled the biggest shake-up of planning rules for a generation last week. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Ms Rayner's 'bulldozer blitz' has laid bare the scale of the demands which will be burdened on local authorities across the country.
![[Cornwall Councillor Jenny Cruse (pictured) said Labour's proposed target was 'undemocratic']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/09/93164273-14194491-image-a-5_1734256727691.jpg)
Labour have unveiled a major overhaul after Ms Rayner vowed to rip up the 'broken' planning system in a move that will prevent so-called Nimbys blocking developments. Residents across the UK are bracing themselves for drastic changes as the Government scrambles to meet its pledge of building 1.5million new homes by the next election.
![[Residents in Bodmin, Cornwall, are fighting a development on Halgavor Moor (pictured)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/09/93164279-14194491-image-a-4_1734256703982.jpg)
The housing shake-up will see councils given ambitious targets to deliver 370,000 homes a year in England. The updated national planning policy framework (NPPF) will see disused sites that have already been developed in the past prioritised for new building. But councils will also be required to review green belt boundaries to meet targets by identifying lower quality 'grey belt' land that could be used for developments.
![[Jeff Kirk said the new targets were a 'disgrace', while Christine Howard (right) said she was 'appalled']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/09/93164271-14194491-image-a-12_1734256795620.jpg)
Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake last week accused Labour of trying to 'bulldoze through the concerns of local communities' and claimed the Government were waging 'war on rural England'. MailOnline has spoken to residents in parts of the country where housing targets have dramatically increased, with many reacting angrily to Labour's radical housing plans.
![[Jack Stevenson, a landlord and retired engineer, said locals 'cannot believe' they want to build on the floodplain]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/15/93164277-14194491-Jack_Stevenson_a_landlord_and_retired_engineer_said_locals_canno-m-70_1734276702526.jpg)
