Sir Max Hastings, president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), has accused the government of “nibbling hungrily” at greenbelt land as it tries to provide more housing in the south east. “Speculators are selling plots within greenbelt land, holding out to buyers the prospect that a government which is already nibbling hungrily at the green belt in several areas will soon allow planning consents to be given in others. These circling sharks are disturbingly confident that Whitehall will throw them raw meat because there is already blood on the water.” An ODPM spokesperson said: “The government is committed to maintaining and increasing the greenbelt in all regions. Since 1997 the total area of green belt land in England has increased by around 19,000 hectares, with around a further potential 12,000 hectares proposed in emerging local plans.”