The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has carried out research into draft and adopted local plans, and has found that the number of proposed new homes on Green Belt land has increased by 50,000 compared to 2015.
Back in March 2015, in the run-up to the general election, David Cameron pledged to protect the Green Belt, saying "When it comes to our Green Belt, I have been clear. The line remains scored in the sand - that land is precious." Mr Cameron added: "protecting the Green Belt is paramount". Although he acknowledged that not all building could occur on brownfield land.
Now, it seems, that more and more housing is being planned on the Green Belts around the country and Green Belt boundaries are actually being changed in order to accommodate faster housing development. For instance, at the beginning of April, Communities Secretary Greg Clark approved a large-scale mixed-use development, comprising 1,500 new homes, on Green Belt Land in Gloucestershire. That decision came through an appeal in which it was stated that the "Secretary of State agrees with the inspector's conclusion that the proposal would be harmful to the Green Belt". However, other factors outweighed the loss of green space and openness, and it was decided that the housing need in the area warranted exceptional circumstances in which to build in the Green Belt.
CPRE believes that it is this policy on "exceptional circumstances" which is being exploited, particularly when it comes to re-drawing Green Belts. The policy itself, contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), says that new Green Belts "should only be established in exceptional circumstances, for example when planning for larger scale development such as new settlements or major urban extensions".
Paul Milner, planning campaign manager at the CPRE, said, "Councils are increasingly eroding the Green Belt to meet unrealistic and unsustainable housing targets. The Government is proposing to encourage further development in the Green Belt. Our Green Belt is invaluable in preventing urban sprawl and providing the countryside next door for 30 million people." Mr Milner added, “We need stronger protection for the Green Belt, not just supportive words and empty promises. To build the affordable homes young people and families need, the Government should empower councils to prioritise the use of brownfield sites. Brownfield land is a self-renewing resource that can provide at least 1 million new homes."
The Housing and Planning Bill certainly seems to encourage the local planning authorities to consider brownfield land more. However, proposed amendments to the NPPF suggest that small sites in the Green Belt could be released for starter-homes.
Cedrec's take
This is a really difficult situation to address. We need more housing, yet our urban areas are running out of space in which to build. And with increasing pressure to demonstrate a five year supply of land for housing, it seems local planning authorities have no choice but to turn to the Green Belt.
What are the other options? Large areas such as London will run out of suitable brownfield land for housing fast, meaning their only option to meet this five year supply of land is either to spread out or build up; spreading out puts pressure on the Green Belt and the countryside.
So, it is really difficult to decide what is best in the fight between the Green Belts and housing demand.
