MP rounds on Church for ‘profits come first hypocrisy’

Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell has accused the Church of England of “ruthlessly” putting “profit before communities” by seeking the right for green belt land it owns in Kirklees to be turned into a business park in the face of fierce local opposition – at the same time as archbishops criticise ruthless capitalism.

Writing in today’s Yorkshire Post, he urges the Archbishop of York or Canterbury to intervene to “practise what they preach”.

His comments expose fresh tensions between the Church and politicians after Tory MPs reacted with fury to a letter from 18 bishops claimed thousands of children could be made homeless and plunged into poverty by coalition welfare reforms. Mr Reevell said their letter was “naive” and out of tune with “the vast majority of hard working people” who are fed up with people being better off on benefits.

Councillors in Kirklees are due to discuss a controversial development scheme tomorrow, with plans to build on green belt land attracting particular fury.

Although plans for 500 homes at Chidswell, off the A653 Leeds Road, have been dropped, Labour’s proposed local development framework earmarks the Church of England-owned site for 35 hectares of industrial development despite 1,000 people having marched in protest against the plans.

The Tories have put forward an alternative framework avoiding green belt development.

Mr Reevell claims the move by the Church Commissioners, who manage its investment portfolio, is at odds with the Archbishop of York’s attack in this newspaper on greed which he said should be made as socially unacceptable as racism and homophobia.

“The people who work for the Church Commissioners have said that there is ‘nothing’ that local people can do to stop them promoting their plan,” writes Mr Reevell. “The reason for this? They want to ‘maximise the income from their investment portfolio’. They say that they have to do this because it is their ‘legal duty’.

“That would be the same ‘legal duty’ that obliges FT100 companies to maximise profits for their shareholders but whose behaviour prompted the Archbishop of York to warn that such behaviour can ‘weaken community life’ and ‘make societies less cohesive’.”

He adds: “I suspect my constituents in Chidswell will struggle to reconcile an attitude of profit before communities with the Archbishop of York’s invitation to strive for a ‘change of ethics to the accumulation of wealth’.”

Council leader Mehboob Khan has insisted that the authority has listened to the public and its proposal “reflects our future needs around jobs and homes, but which is realistic and deliverable and takes care to maintain the attractive character of Kirklees”.

A spokesman for the Archbishop of York’s office said: “The Archbishop is aware of Mr Reevell’s concerns and has communicated these to the Church Commissioners who act in the context of well established ethical guidelines.

“The Archbishop has been in correspondence with Mr Reevell regarding this issue and made clear that as Archbishop he cannot intervene in planning matters, and has no locus to do so.”

A spokesman for the Church Commissioners said it was for the council to decide how land should be used, adding: “We see no ethical problem with assisting a council deliver land for new jobs and homes where they are sorely needed.

“Should those responsible decide to allocate the land in the long term for use as a business park and for housing, we would therefore support that.”