Motion #F01

Land Use Draft Voting Paper

Synopsis

This policy paper aims to amend the current policy that impacts on land use in the United Kingdom. It defines our key outcomes and principles, which are based on and consistent with the Philosophical Basis and existing policy and outlines policies and ways to achieve them via a range of relevant policy levers.

Motion

Delete the current Land chapter (LD100 to LD403) and replace with the text below.

LD001 Context

Land is the primary source of all real wealth, and is the common heritage of people and nature. In UK law the sovereign owns all land. Over time, the right to occupy and use land, which was gained by feudal service to the sovereign, then through payment of rent to the Crown, has been replaced by payment of a one-off lump sum. It thus appears that the free-holder has ownership of land in perpetuity, with apparent control over use or non-use, and the right to retain or sell at will.

LD100 Key outcomes

These should be the results of our policies.

• In the light of the planet’s natural limits and the biological and climate emergency, humanity must immediately protect and increase biodiversity (providing us with abundant and diverse ecosystems, habitat mosaics), balance the nitrogen cycle and reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2030

• Reducing wealth inequality ensuring everyone has fair access to land for recreation, health and education, and access to land to grow food, and

• Providing healthy food, resilient communities, local resources, sustainable livelihoods.

LD200 The Land principles are:

• Land is held in trust and managed by human society for its own benefit and that of other species and future generations so that activities enhance the richness of life

• People may have particular rights over the use of land but not absolute ownership or control of it

• These rights to particular agreed categories of use should be the responsibility of the community within a clear set of planning rules for land use

• Treating land as a capital investment will be discouraged, and so will be trading it for speculative profit

• Those with rights to use land will be encouraged by the use of incentives to make the best use of their land for the community, future generations and nature; this will be biased towards protection, regeneration, restoration and include penalties for pollution and degradation of land

• Benefits that come from the right to use land should be shared with the community (by taxation where wealth is created)

• Land rights should be transparent and accountable

• The overrunning of the planet’s natural limits and the unsustainable use of its resources should be considered as one challenge

• There should be a transition period that will achieve the considerable land use changes required.

Policies

LD300 Land Ownership

LD301 Details shall be held in a public registry of all land in the United Kingdom that will be open for public inspection free of charge, as provided for in LP517.

LD302 All Land, which is currently owned by the sovereign, shall be jointly owned by all citizens as ‘commons’ through Commons Trusts, which shall be independent of government. Their purpose shall be to manage land for the benefit of the ecosystem, current and future citizens (for the common good). Commons Trusts shall be funded via revenues, for example from Land Value Taxation and their policies, and major decisions will be made in accordance with the principles of democratic participations (see PA102 and PA103).

LD303 All land in the UK may be held as “freehold”, which in law is permanent and absolute tenure. This tenure shall encompass stewardship of the land. All land in the UK may only be held by UK citizens (individually or collectively) or by organisations registered at Companies House. Individual citizens (individually or collectively) who are not UK citizens may be a steward of land for their own domestic dwelling and/or to derive a livelihood.

LD304 Transitional provisions will move people from the current system of tenure to a system based on stewardship.

LD305 Stewards of land have the right to derive profits and benefits from the use of the land. With this will come responsibility for managing the land in accordance with the defined common good (see LD302). Stewards of land shall also hold the right to transfer stewardship, which will be identical to the way we buy and sell land currently.

LD306 Determining whether stewardship has failed may be initiated by the relevant community or region via a petition to the Commons Trusts. The Commons Trusts, if they deem it appropriate, and after the issuing of warnings, shall start a judicial process to determine whether the freehold conditions have been breached and the freehold should be ended. The land shall initially become ‘common land’ managed directly by the Common’s Trusts, but in due course the Common’s Trusts may grant a new freehold.

LD400 Land Use Change - spatial planning

LD401 Land use priorities, in order of importance, are: biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions, growing food, sequestering carbon, biotic resources, energy.

LD402 There shall be a fundamental change of land use in the UK. The transition shall be achieved primarily by encouraging and supporting landowners to adopt land stewardship practices. This transition shall be completed within 20 years unless otherwise stated.

LD403 Government shall have a right to designate areas as critical national infrastructure, including current designations such as National Parks, but also new land use designations for peatland, wetland, saltmarsh and ancient woodland.

LD403a: To these ends, all farming and forestry on peatlands will cease and restoration to a good condition will take place over a 10 year period. See also CC014, FA206, FA301, WH101&102

LD404 Although much of the current planning system will be retained (see LP400-518, HO400-409), some changes will be needed (even beyond those proposed in other chapters) in order to deliver Land Policy. The National Policy Planning Framework will become obsolete as it will be replaced by Spatial Strategies (see LD405, 502 & 503), and a National Economic Spatial Strategy (see IN401-404). The key change required to the planning system is expanding the scope to cover all land uses rather than focusing only on the built environment (including the UK marine environment).

LD405 In order for any government to make significant land use change happen, a process will need to be introduced by which targets for land use change can be set and a combination of policy levers be enacted to achieve them. Fundamental to achieve the required changes, therefore, are spatial strategies. Spatial strategy is the setting of land use change targets and land management change targets plus the oversight of processes/policies by which this change is achieved. Spatial planning is mapping to allocate certain pieces of land to certain purposes.

LD500 Setting a strategy

LD501 There shall be an overhaul of the current planning system that developed over the last 100 years. Government planning and land use strategy documents shall be reviewed to ensure that they deliver the key outcomes of this policy.

LD502 Power shall be held/decisions shall be made, at the lowest possible level (PB302). Spatial Strategies shall be produced at three levels:

• National Level - under the Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Community and Local Government

• Regional Level - this may vary according to local needs, but could for example include the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies, English Regions and/or Assemblies or City Administrations (see PA410-416)

• Local Level - local authorities.

LD503 Spatial strategies shall resolve conflicts in the hierarchy of land use arising from land use key outcomes set out in LD100 from the finite land area available to us. IN402 contains a duty to cooperate at national level and this shall apply to all levels of government.

LD600 Policy levers to achieve land use change

LD601 Proposed levers are:

• Planning permission,

• Obligations of land stewards,

• Land management subsidies,

• Fiscal measures:

o land value tax,

o carbon tax,

o tax breaks and “eco-taxes”

• Direct public ownership and

• Capacity building and a just transition.

LD602 Planning permission shall be used as a tool to determine when land use change may occur (i.e. application for change of land use) and a way of levying carbon tax against land use changes. Planning permission shall therefore be a tool for ensuring that spatial plans (i.e. land use change objectives) are complied with. See also LP514 and LP517.

LD603 Obligations of land stewards - see LD304-306 & LD402.

LD604 Land management subsidies shall include stewardship grants, agricultural subsidies and payments (via a system based on the Environment Land Management (ELMs) scheme) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Forestry England. See the Economics (EC781), Food and Agriculture Chapter (FA304, FA203), Wildlife and Habitats Chapter (TBC), and Forestry Chapter (FR603).

LD605 Fiscal measures - these will introduce the powers to implement the financial measures outlined in LD600 and to prescribe who will manage them. These measures include:

• Land Value Tax - see EC780, EC781, EC782, EC792

• Carbon tax - see EC777, FA301 and CC121

• Tax breaks and “eco-taxes” - see EC776

LD606 Direct public ownership - FR200 outlines proposals to increase the size of the public forestry estate and HO500-505 outlines the creation of new publicly owned social housing.

LD607 Capacity building and just transition - to drive the transition forwards and facilitate the paradigm shift to a new way of using land, there will be a need for education, training, and support services. It is also critical that there is support for people whose livelihoods will need to change (IN205, MC363). This will be achieved through measures including:

• Public information campaigns

• Funding for land use research (see FR1400, FA301)

• Funding and expansion of agricultural colleges and land-based apprenticeships (see FA204)

• Start-up funding for young entrepreneurs in agriculture/horticulture (see FA203)

• Farm and land business advisory services (see FA202, FA204, FA301, FA304).

Changes that need to be made to align with the proposed Land chapter.

CC121 currently states:

CC121 To drive change throughout society the UK should combine a carbon tax and dividend with publicity campaigns and possible carbon rationing. For instance, it should require all adverts for high carbon products, including food, to carry an ‘environmental health warning’. The carbon tax would reflect all emissions of greenhouse gases, not just CO2. It should have a progressive element to deter high individual emitters.

Change the penultimate sentence and add a sentence so that it reads:

CC121 To drive change throughout society the UK should combine a carbon tax and dividend with publicity campaigns and possible carbon rationing. For instance, it should require all adverts for high carbon products, including food, to carry an ‘environmental health warning’. The carbon tax would reflect most emissions of all greenhouse gases (not just CO2). See EC777 for exceptions to the carbon tax. It should have a progressive element to deter high individual emitters.

Add to CC300 the word “Land”, so that it reads:

“CC300 The Climate Emergency is also covered in the following chapters of the PSS:

• Countryside

• Economics

• Education

• Energy

• Europe

• Food and Agriculture

• Forestry

• Housing

• Industry

• International

• Land

• Local Planning and Built Environment

• Marine and Coastal

• Pollution

• Transport”

Insert references to the Land Chapter into CY400 so that it reads, “CY400 The Green Party will seek to integrate environmental, social and economic objectives in all areas of countryside and rural policy, with the overall aims to:

a) Revitalise the economy and life of rural communities;

b) Legislate to reform land tenure and access to land. (see LD300);

c) Legislate to stop further destruction of wildlife habitats, the soil, the landscape, ancient monuments and our countryside heritage;

d) Enact policies that will make the whole countryside more hospitable to wildlife, entailing increased protection for wildlife and habitats and delivery of meaningful landscape-scale conservation and restoration;

e) Increase the area and quality of woods, orchards, agroforestry, hedges and other tree cover (see Food and Agriculture and Land Use Chapters);

f) Ensure food security, integrating human health and wellbeing, environmental protection, animal welfare and decent livelihoods for farmers, farm workers and growers;

g) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop appropriate renewable energy especially at local and community level.”.

Delete the paragraphs CY540-543

“CY540 The Green Party will ensure that planning for sustainable use of the countryside for multiple purposes is a major and integral part of the Local Development Frameworks to be implemented by all Local Planning Authorities and National Park Authorities. Advice will be provided by the government’s statutory authorities and agencies on conservation and full democratic consultation undertaken. Ecological criteria will be given full weight in all planning decisions.

CY541 The Green Party will ensure that planning decisions are made at the lowest appropriate level - by elected parish, town, district, county or unitary councils, and ensure that they have the necessary training and access to knowledge to make appropriate decisions. Appeals against refusals will be determined by a strengthened independent planning inspectorate, competent to take all factors into account. The Infrastructure Planning Commission, or any similar separate fast-track body for national infrastructure decisions, will be abolished as democratically unsafe. However, steps will be taken to avoid unnecessarily long hearings into major developments. The Green Party will review the case for the right to appeal against local planning approvals.

CY542 The Green Party will strengthen planning controls for large-scale or damaging land-use changes in the countryside, in particular, large-scale farm buildings, new and improvement works by drainage bodies and water authorities, clearances of woodland, works affecting woodland and large-scale afforestation.

CY543 The Green Party will introduce legislation to halt and reverse the spread of light pollution in the countryside in order to protect the dark night sky and to minimise disturbance to wildlife from artificial light. There will be a presumption against new lighting in the countryside - this will be incorporated into all Local Development Frameworks. Improved lighting design and the use of more efficient lighting will be required for new developments or replacement of existing lighting. Energy conservation, including the removal or reduction of unnecessary lighting, will be promoted. National policy that encourages local renewable energy installations will be retained, strengthened and enforced.”

And replace with

“CY540 The way spatial planning (LD400) happens in the UK shall be reformed and Spatial Strategies will be introduced to ensure that Land use change and Land management change achieve the key outcomes set out in LD100. This will happen in line with the party’s principle for decisions to be made at the lowest possible level (See Local Planning and Built environment Chapter) and enable the land use changes required for our society to thrive within planetary boundaries.

CY541 Legislation shall be introduced to halt and reverse the spread of light pollution in the countryside in order to protect the dark night sky and to minimise disturbance to wildlife from artificial light.”

Delete “CY562 The Green Party will retain and rigorously strengthen Green Belt legislation as a positive measure to revitalise the countryside, improve quality of life for people in cities and large towns and encourage the extension of ‘green wedges’ into the cities. We will:

a. Make rural communities rewarding places to live and work in, reducing and reversing rural depopulation and out-migration

b. Extend environmental and social impact statements into all areas of decision-making.

c. Encourage the development of thriving urban and rural communities.

d. Reduce speculation in land in both urban and rural areas.

And replace with, “CY562 Green Belt legislation shall be retained and strengthened as laid out in LP407 and LP510. The Spatial Strategies and Spatial Planning will complement this. (See LP300 and LP500)”.

EC777 currently states:

EC777 A carbon tax will be introduced whereby a steadily rising price will be placed on sources of all greenhouse gas emissions, including agricultural emissions and those embedded in imports (EC779). Part of the tax revenue will be paid out as dividends to UK residents, while the rest will be used to promote sustainable behaviours, investment in zero carbon solutions, and meeting international climate obligations.

Change the first sentence and insert a second sentence so that it states:

EC777 A carbon tax will be introduced whereby a steadily rising price will be placed on sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and those embedded in imports (EC779). An exception to this will be emissions from land management which will be addressed via the planning system (see LD602) or via land management subsidies (see FA301 and FA602). Part of the tax revenue will be paid out as dividends to UK residents, while the rest will be used to promote sustainable behaviours, investment in zero carbon solutions, and meeting international climate obligations.

In EC781, replace the word, “will” with “shall”, insert the word “stewardship” and replace the word “landowners” with “freeholders”, so that it reads, “EC781 There shall be no exemptions for different land uses from this policy. Where stewardship obligations are placed on freeholders to conserve wildlife habitats, archaeological sites or other landscape features, the capital value of the land may be assessed as zero or negative, and LVT would then become a subsidy. The effect of LVT on UK Agriculture will be managed through changes to farming subsidies in line with objectives laid out in the Food & Agriculture chapter. LVT will be introduced gradually over a number of years. As a transitional measure, where land necessarily attached to a domestic dwelling was subject to a mortgage on the day the tax was introduced, the tax would apply only to the value of the land net of the mortgage. Owner occupiers aged over 65 years will not be exempt, but they will be able to ‘roll over’ payments until the home is sold.”.

Delete “EN015 Biofuels will be sustainably sourced within the UK (see Forestry policy).”

And replace with:

“EN015 Biofuels will be sustainably sourced within the UK, and therefore the quantity available will be limited. (See FR700).”

Add new policy

“EN016 Solar Photovoltaic will be deployed on roofs unless there is no better use of the land.”

Food and Agriculture

More to follow

FA301 currently states:

FA301 Food, Agriculture and Climate Change – climate change is the most profound challenge facing the planet. Agriculture and food production account for some 10% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Soil is the most important carbon store in the UK.

• All farmers will be supported through advice and guidance to manage their farms to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2030. Carbon sequestration will be one of the outcomes to attract payment under the revised farming support scheme.

• We will set rigorous targets for GHG reductions, to reduce emissions to zero by 2030 across the Food and Agriculture System to cover farms and the whole supply, manufacturing and distribution system including imports.

• We will promote a move to a diet with significantly less meat consumption that will require fewer farm animals reducing emissions from ruminant digestion and releasing areas of grassland for crops, forestry or wildlife.

• We will introduce a carbon tax and this will apply both to agricultural inputs and to agricultural products based on the net greenhouse gases released during their production.

• We support the development of appropriate renewable energy systems on farms; we will monitor the growing of crops specifically for fuel.

• Lowland peat soils are vulnerable to erosion and carbon loss; we will support applied research to ensure that they are managed in a manner that reduces GHG emissions and returns them to being net sequesters of carbon. Change the lead paragraph, the fourth and last bullets and add a fifth bullet so that it reads: FA301 Food, Agriculture and Climate Change – climate change is the most profound challenge facing the planet. Agriculture and food production in 2020 accounted for some 10% of UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Soil is the most important carbon store in the UK.

• All farmers will be supported through advice and guidance to manage their farms to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2030. Carbon sequestration will be one of the outcomes to attract payment under the revised farming support scheme.

• We will set rigorous targets for GHG reductions, to reduce emissions to zero by 2030 across the Food and Agriculture System to cover farms and the whole supply, manufacturing and distribution system including imports.

• We will promote a move to a diet with significantly less meat consumption that will require fewer farm animals reducing emissions from ruminant digestion and releasing areas of grassland for crops, forestry or wildlife.

• The carbon tax will be applied both to agricultural inputs (such as diesel and fertilisers) and GHG implications of long term land use changes by extending planning system to rural land (see EC777).

• Land management subsidies will be adjusted to discourage GHG intensive farming practices and encourage Carbon sequestration in soils and wetland.

• We support the development of appropriate renewable energy systems on farms; we will monitor the growing of crops specifically for fuel.

• Lowland peat soils are vulnerable to erosion and carbon loss; we will restore them to being net sequesters of carbon (see LD403a).

FA602 first bullet currently states:

FA602 Healthy and Sustainable Food Standards

• We will support a progressive transition from a diet dominated by meat and animal products to one with a higher proportion of plant-based foods by public education and the operation of the carbon tax.

Change the first bullet so that it reads:

FA602 Healthy and Sustainable Food Standards

• We will support a progressive transition from a diet dominated by meat and animal products to one with a higher proportion of plant-based foods led via public education, public procurement and the impact of carbon tax (see EC777) and subsidy changes on intensive meat and dairy production.

Delete “FR200

1.Sustained cooperative relationship between public and private estates.

2.Increase the area of cover in the UK to average cover across Europe.

3.UK self-sufficiency in forest products.

4.Optimise the quantity and quality of all forest products.

5.Increase the involvement, employment and enjoyment of local communities.

6.Maintain and protect ancient woodland and priority habitats.

7.Protect and increase the Public Forest Estate (PFE).”

And replace with

“FR200

Increase the area of cover in the UK to be between 30% and 40% in 20 years, meeting these forestry objectives within the context of the land use key outcomes (See LD100):

• Sustained cooperative relationship between public and private estates

• UK self-sufficiency in forestry products to displace some fossil fuel based products (eg plastics).

• Optimise the quantity and quality of all forest products.

• Increase the involvement, employment and enjoyment of local communities.

• Maintain and protect ancient woodland and priority habitats as well as increasing biodiversity, abundance and soil health.

• Protect and increase the Public Forest Estate (PFE).

• Increase the area of fruit and nut trees

• Increase the biomass of living trees for carbon sequestration and remove pinewood from peatland to eliminate emissions

• Allow for the use of forest residue and waste wood as well as some plantation for energy

FR401 Add a reference to other policy levers and LD600, so that the paragraph reads, “FR401 The expansion of the UK estate/tree cover shall be driven through three component parts (in addition to other policy levers described in LD600).

• Forest Services, to manage the land cover of the PFE, allocate grants, enforce regulations and implement and police pest control

• Forest Research, to oversee and coordinate research through the PFE, academia and the commercial sector

• Forest Enterprise, to manage the PFE sustainably, plant, grow and fell standing timber, sustain balanced supply chains and encourage access.”

Delete “FR600 A Green Government will facilitate an increase in overall tree cover so that it reaches a level that is on a par with average coverage in countries across Europe, consisting of unmanaged forest and woodland; harvested forest and woodland; unharvested (but managed) forest and woodland; short rotation forest and woodland; short rotation coppice; and agroforestry.”

And replace with

“FR600 An increase in overall tree cover shall be facilitated so that it achieves the objective in FR200, consisting of unmanaged forest and woodland; harvested forest and woodland; unharvested (but managed) forest and woodland; woodland; open canopy woodland; and agroforestry.”

FR601 Add “(See LD 500)” and “newly created UK Forest and Woodland Council”, so that the paragraph reads, “ FR601 There will be a strong presumption against the permanent removal of woodland; any loss will be balanced by equivalent forest and woodland creation elsewhere, under the ultimate supervision of the newly created UK Forest and Woodland Council (UKFWC). (See LD 500)

Delete “FR700 A Green Government will facilitate extensive planting of short rotation forestry and coppice for energy production.”

And replace with

“FR700 Planting of short rotation forestry and coppice for energy production shall be facilitated, where land use priorities allow. (See LD401)

Insert new “FR701 Forest and sawmill residues can be used for energy production, where not better applied to preserving forest soil health and biodiversity or other wood products.”

Insert into FR800 the words “and wood products” and amend so that it reads, “FR800 Supporting Green Party Industrial Policies IP202 and IP241, and climate change policy CC260, UK imports of timbers and wood products that can be grown in the UK shall be reduced to net zero, and also a ‘Wood First’ policy in all new buildings and in retrofitting existing ones will be promoted.”

Add to FR1400 “(See LD600)” so that it reads “FR1400 Funding shall be provided for innovative and targeted research, including different timber species’ strengths and utility; CO2 sequestration potential, future planting needs and species suitability under climatic changes; mapping research on land areas most suited to energy creation, food growing, urban growth and conservation; planting opportunities mapping; research into organic pest control; climate emergency adaptation and resilience opportunities, particularly flood mitigation (See LD600).”

Amend in HO401(a): replace the reference to LD400 (LVT), with a reference to EC780, where the substantive policy sits.

HO402: The Land Use PWG is considering evidence that supports the land use for housing being based on demand that sits between 100000 and 200000 new homes per annum. Depending on which number the evidence supports, Land Use PWG may propose an amendment to the HO Policy.

Insert into IN401-IN403, the word “Economic” before “Spatial Strategy”; re-word IN402-404 so that it reflects the proposed Land Use policy and tidies up the wording, merges IN402 and 403 and re-numbers accordingly, so that the paragraphs now read

“IN401 The National Economic Spatial Strategy will ensure individual planning and investment decisions add up to a national plan that is socially and environmentally sustainable.

IN402 The National Economic Spatial Strategy will replace the current failed market mechanisms with a planning system that is accountable, not to banks or speculative financial institutions, but democratically to communities. This economic spatial strategy will, along with spatial strategies outlined in the Land Chapter (LD400), steer spatial planning (LD500) to deliver the key outcomes laid out in LD100. These new spatial strategies will fill the void created by the revocation of the Regional Spatial Strategies, so that the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ principle extends to a national level.

IN403 The National Economic Spatial Strategy will:

• Create new green jobs by prioritising development of sustainable rural livelihoods (See and locally sustainable enterprises across the UK rather than speculative development focused in existing job-rich areas.

• Delivering industrial activities required for rapid transition to zero carbon.

• Support the transition of rural communities from commuter towns or retirement towns, to more self-reliant, diverse sustainable communities.

• promote the clustering of zero carbon, zero waste enterprises in new social enterprise zones.

• Design national and regional resilience into our economy.

• prioritise the refurbishment of existing buildings and suitable brownfield sites to deliver new houses and business spaces.”

In IN408, delete the words “(see LD203-6”) and insert the words, “(see LD601 and 605)”, so that it reads, “ IN408 Current land rights encourage unsustainable industrial activity. A Land Value Tax would redress this problem. (See EC780-782, LD302, 601 and LD605).”.

Delete LP407, “LP407 The Green Party strongly supports the provision of green belts to contain urban sprawl, to maintain the separation of settlements, to protect prime agricultural land around settlements, to encourage urban regeneration and compact towns and cities, and to complement the ecological and cultural value of other designations listed in LP405. The Green Party would put a greater emphasis on the green belt’s use for wider sustainable built environment considerations such as flooding, biodiversity, agriculture, energy production and sustainable transport.The local authority role in reviewing and protecting their green belt is set out in LP510.”

Insert a new LP407, to reflect the Green Party’s land use prioritisation, “LP407 Land designated as Green Belt should be used to contain urban sprawl, to maintain the separation of settlements, to protect prime agricultural land around settlements, to encourage urban regeneration and compact towns and cities, and to complement the ecological and cultural value of other designations. Green belt should be used to make the sustainable built environment more resilient to flooding, make space for biodiversity, agriculture, energy production and sustainable transport in line with land use prioistation set out in LD401. The local authority role in reviewing and protecting their green belt is set out in LP510.”.

Delete LP514, “LP514 The Green Party would empower local authorities to use streamlined compulsory purchase powers to assemble areas with fragmented ownership, and to buy the land at existing use value. We would also support the allocation of more land for self-build.The Green Party would explore how the Land Bank and Community Land Trust models developed in theUSA could be used to maximise the benefits from land and property acquisition.

Insert a new LP514, to make it clear that the allocation of land for self-build is part of the overall area of land allocated for new build and not in addition, so that it reads, “LP514 The Green Party would empower local authorities to use streamlined compulsory purchase powers to assemble areas with fragmented ownership, and to buy the land at existing use value. A greater proportion of land allocated to new homes should be made available for self-build. The Green Party would explore how the Land Bank and Community Land Trust models developed in the USA could be used to maximise the benefits from land and property acquisition.”.

In the section Policy Principles

Delete “MC204 All values, rules, and management systems that are employed to best sustain our land area can and should be similarly deployed in the marine environment. So, for instance, conservation designations, environmental impact assessments, planning regulations, etc, should have an equivalent within the ocean.”

and replace with, “MC204 As outlined in LD502, the planning system should be expanded to cover all land in the UK, and this should include UK territorial water and UK exclusive economic Zone. This means that conservation designations, environmental impact assessments, planning regulations, etc, would equally apply to UK land as UK waters.”.

In the section Marine Governance

Delete “MC307 The Green Party would seek large-scale reform of the Crown Estate (which currently has a monopoly on the sea bed around the UK, and is required to administer this on a purely commercial basis), devolving its powers to more locally-based levels of accountability within government and changing its remit to emphasise long-term environmental sustainability of our marine environment.:

and replace with, “MC307 As set out in LD300, the Crown Estate (which currently manages the sea bed around the UK), would be replaced by Commons Trusts. As defined in its purpose, these Trusts would manage the land and sea for their long term sustainability.”

In the section UK Overseas Territories

Delete “MC311, The Green Party would ensure that conservation of the marine environment in the Overseas Territories is funded to a level equal to its global significance.”

And replace with, “MC311 The Green Party would ensure that conservation of the marine environment in the Overseas Territories is funded to a level equal to its global significance. This will in part happen by the creation of Commons Trusts (see LD300) for each oversea’s territory along similar lines to Commons Trusts created for the UK.”

NB Policies MC370-372 inclusive do not currently exist

In the section Off-shore Wind and Marine Energy

Insert a new paragraph MC371, “The issuing of licences for Wind and Marine Energy will become the responsibility of the Commons Trusts (see LD300) which will have to balance competing outcomes laid out in LD100 when making such decisions and specifying conditions.”

From MC376, delete the phrase, “We currently know relatively little about the sea bed, except that its biology is extremely diverse and its physics can be stormy. Therefore,” and capitalise the next word, so that it read, “MC376 Installations should not be dumped or abandoned at sea. As a matter of principle, operators should expect when constructing an installation, that they will be later responsible for completely removing it.”.

Renumber current MC373-378, MC373-377, respectively.

In NR421, replace “the State” with “the Commons Trusts”, so that it reads, “NR421 All mineral rights will be held in trust by the Commons Trusts (see LD300) on behalf of the communities which occupy the land or, in the case of off-shore rights, which border it. Planning consent to exploit minerals will be subject to both local and national agreement. It will be a requirement of such consent that the environmental impact of any work is minimised and for extraction activities to maximise the resources obtained. The affected land should be returned to a similar or improved ecological status.

Amend and also update the reference in TM043 from “EC793” to “EC781”, so that it reads, “Some areas have many second homes/holiday flats, which are only occupied for a few weeks a year. This produces very limited benefit to the local economy. It is detrimental to the local communities, pushing house prices higher and pricing local people out of the market. The policy of applying a Land Value Tax shall have no reduction or exemption for properties which are left vacant. It will deter the ownership of second ‘holiday’ homes and encourage greater use of underused buildings. (See EC781)”

Delete “TR022 These strategies would influence demand both at point of use and indirectly through promotion, information, taxation and research. In the longer term this would also include the use of land use controls. They would also act on all aspects of transport and institutional infrastructure, e.g. regulations and subsidies.”

And replace with, “TR022 These strategies would influence demand both at point of use and indirectly through promotion, information, taxation and research. In the longer term this would also include the use of land use controls (See LD600.).

Wildlife and Habitats: changes need to be reviewed as there is a new policy chapter.

WR203, insert, “(See LD200)”, so that it reads, “Workplace democracy will help us to attain these long-term aims. However, it must go hand in hand with other reforms that deal with discrimination, the power of the state, the ownership of land (See LD300) and the control of information. All these influence our ability to control our working lives, which in turn affects an individual’s ability to care for the planet.”.

No changes are proposed in this Draft Voting Paper to the Records on Policy Statements or the 2019 General Election Manifesto.