Are We Losing Our Green And Pleasant Land Status?

If you are concerned about the loss of green space here in Havering, then spare a thought for the people of Somerset, who are now fighting to save an ancient hedgerow in Ilminster that has stood for centuries.

This irreplaceable piece of history and nature is set to be ripped out to make way for housing development. Campaigners argue it is not just a row of bushes – it’s a living habitat for countless species, a vital wildlife corridor, and a piece of our rural heritage.

Planning applications across Havering are also coming in thick and fast, with developers firmly in the driving seat thanks to the looming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Across Hornchurch, residents living near Wingletye Lane and Bennetts Road are fearful of losing green space with the shocking possible proposal of 570 new homes on field land. Yes, a whopping 570 homes – wiping out open fields in one swoop.

The pattern is clear- more and more homes, less and less green space. Wildlife is destroyed, landscapes are lost, and with every brick laid, England’s natural heritage slips further away.

England was once known as a green and pleasant land – but is it now? With ancient hedgerows in Somerset under threat, and open fields in Havering facing bulldozers, we must ask ourselves: is it still green, and is it still pleasant? Or are we sleepwalking into a country where concrete replaces countryside, and “progress” means the destruction of our wildlife and its homes.

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