Sir Oliver recently met with a group of Potters Bar residents, organised as the Potters Bar Special Interest Group, to discuss their views on planning proposals in the area.

Residents highlighted two proposed developments in close proximity to one another: the construction of a Data Centre on a plot east of South Mimms, and the construction of 900 houses on a plot south of Potters Bar, both of which are on Green Belt land. They outlined a number of issues, including loss of green space, impact on local transport links and infrastructure, noise pollution, aesthetic concerns, and loss of agricultural land, as well as voicing broader concerns about Labour’s national planning reforms.

Sir Oliver said: “Having grown up enjoying the green spaces in our area, I know as well as anyone how important it is to secure long-term protections for them. That is why, since I was first elected in 2015, I have worked tirelessly to protect our local countryside and will continue to oppose Labour's destructive reforms at every opportunity. 

Hertsmere Borough Council’s decision to grant consent for the proposed data centre will be difficult to overturn, particularly given both the Government’s reclassification of data centres as Critical National Infrastructure and the support for the development from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner.

However, the council has not yet made a decision on the application for 900 houses. I oppose this development and remain clear that permission should not be granted. We should not be building on Green Belt land unless there are exceptional circumstances which, in this instance, I do not believe to exist. I have raised this with Hertsmere Borough Council and have also sent a mailout to local residents, making clear my thoughts and encouraging them to submit their own views.

While individual planning applications are solely a matter for the local authority and are not an area in which I have any formal influence, I will always fight to protect our local countryside and will continue to advocate for the protection of green spaces.”