Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he is “well aware” of the pressures to protect green belt in Three Rivers amid vast swathes being threatened to meet government housing targets.

But the Minister for Brexit opportunities said it is the “primary responsibility” for the local council to come up with a local plan “that meets the needs of the community”.

Mr Rees-Mogg visited Three Rivers on Thursday, February 9, to host a question-and-answer session with pupils at Rickmansworth School.

Read more - Jacob Rees-Mogg praises pupils during visit to school

During his visit, the Watford Observer asked the minister how green belt land can be protected in the district while meeting government housing targets.

The draft local plan document, which was released in 2021, revealed land which is most at risk of being developed in the area to meet targets of around 630 homes a year until 2038.

More than 20,000 individual comments were received as a result after residents were invited to have their say on the list of sites that have been put forward to be developed for housing.

Read more - 20,000 comments submitted as residents fight to save green belt

Mr Rees-Mogg said: “The greenbelt protection is a very important part of national planning policy and my own constituency, similar to here, is 70 per cent greenbelt so I am well aware of these pressures.

“But the primary responsibility is for the council to come forward with a plan that meets the needs of the community and communities do need more housing - children grow up and they do need to be able to buy houses to live in and it’s the local council that has that responsibility.”

Gagan Mohindra, South West Hertfordshire MP, added: “As the minister has correctly pointed out it’s for the government to create the framework for the local plan process and for local councils to deliver what they think is best for their community.”

Watford Observer:

Cllr Matthew Bedford, lead member for infrastructure and planning policy at Three Rivers District Council, said the threat to green belt “is driven by central government's housebuilding targets”.

He added: “The government also recently published its 'Levelling Up' plans and we might have expected this would equalise growth across the country; but to my surprise and disappointment there is no indication in the white paper that the government will be reducing its housebuilding targets for Three Rivers or other councils in the South East.”

He added a second consultation for the draft local plan is set to be held in November or December.

The new timetable is set to be agreed at a council meeting on February 22.