THE leader of the St Helens Conservatives says housing development can take place "without using green belt land".

The Star reported as the Rainford Action Group said there is no necessity for construction on green belt land, stating that existing properties need to be “brought back into use” with focus on brownfield sites.

Chair James Wright said: “We don’t accept there is the housing need in St Helens to justify building on protected greenbelt".

He added: “Why should green land be built on when so many properties stand empty? Before beautiful and productive protected land is destroyed to build new houses, existing empty properties should be brought back into use.

“This also applies to existing empty unused land in the form of brownfield.”

The group claimed there are 3,500 vacant properties in the borough, a figure which St Helens Council refuted, claiming that council tax data for October 2017 showed there are 2,853 empty dwellings.

Mr Wright referred to green belt development as "a cheap and easy option" saying the focus "should be on brownfield sites and breathing new life into existing properties.”

Rainford councillor Allan Jones backed calls to focus on vacant properties, questioning the need to use the green belt.

Cllr Jones said: "With that amount of unoccupied houses and the fact that the council now have a brownfield register it may be possible to specify the projected total of houses required in the borough without using green belt land."

He added: "Rainford Conservative councillors wish to support the farming industry, protect wildlife and preserve the countryside for future generations.

"With that in mind we will maintain our position which is to oppose mass house building on green belt land in Rainford and throughout the borough."

St Helens Council has stated its Empty Homes Strategy has seen more than 800 dwellings brought back into use since 2003 and that there are planning permissions for 1,671 homes where construction had yet to commence.

A spokesman added there is “a notable pipeline of new development which is coming forward, although it should be noted that not all new dwellings with planning permission will necessarily be built”.

He said figures for vacancies and existing planning permissions "must be compared against the scale of housing need" saying draft figures currently put forward by the government, mean the Local Plan for St Helens "must provide for more than 500 new dwellings per year".

They also affirmed the council will "take relevant up-to-date information concerning all these issues, and the continuing need to redevelop brownfield land in the urban area, into account as it progresses its Local Plan".