Martin has never believed that the best way to help the homeless or make homes affordable was to build all over the countryside. So he has always strongly supported campaigns to protect treasured green spaces around Cheltenham. As an MP, he has repeatedly raised the issue in parliamentary debates, ministerial questions and select committees. He has strongly welcomed the new coalition government's decision to scrap centrally-driven Regional Spatial Strategies and return powers over housing and development to local communities.

Martin's father, Don Horwood, was one of the founders of the Leckhampton Green Land Action Group (LEGLAG) and Martin joined at an early age. When he and his family returned to Leckhampton and his children began attending local schools and nurseries the need to protect a green, safe and healthy local area became even more personal. As well as LEGLAG, Martin was quick to support the newer Save the Countryside campaign which has brought together a much wider spread of campaigners but in particular those opposing development of countryside to the north-west of Cheltenham.

The South-West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was a government-inspired policy that singled out land near Leckhampton and Hatherley in the south and near Hesters Way, Springbank and Swindon Village in the north for ‘urban extensions’ . These would have been home to more than 6,000 new houses – on top of more than 7,500 new homes for the Cheltenham built-up urban area. Martin believes the urban housing is more than enough for our housing needs and that any more homes should be given to urban city centres in need of regeneration and to smaller villages and market towns who want them because their shops, post offices and schools are closing for lack of people. Along with councillors and council leaders, Martin has actively opposed overdevelopment from the RSS right from the start – before he was even elected as our MP.

Under the new coalition government policy, power is returning to the local area.  The councils of Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester City have agreed to plan a Joint Core Strategy (JCS) that will plan for sustainable development that really meets local housing needs.  Watch out for further consultation and announcements on the JCS - and attempts by developers to jump the gun and try to develop green fields before the JCS is agreed.

Martin has also called for more action to support rural housing (for instance in and around farms) where it is wanted and needed, tougher measures to bring more of the UK's 850,000 empty homes back into use and new powers at local level to encourage the buying and building of more social housing for rent which is where the need is greatest.