New research from charity CPRE suggests government policy is paving the way for large-scale development of unspoilt rural landscapes.
Since the ‘‘grey belt’ policy was introduced in December 2024, 13 developments of 10 or more homes have been approved by planning inspectors on so called grey belt sites within the protected green belt.
But of the 1,250 properties these schemes will deliver, 88% will be built on previously undeveloped countryside, says CPRE, formerly known as The Campaign to Protect Rural England.
In April 2024, Sir Keir Starmer first described grey belt land as “poor-quality scrubland, mothballed on the outskirts of town”, as well as previously developed land such as abandoned petrol stations and car parks. He promised:
“We’ll prioritise ugly, disused grey belt land, and set tough new conditions for releasing that land.”
According to CPRE, a very different reality has been borne out in practice. Two examples the charity cites of encroachment on green belt include permission granted for the construction of 57 houses on farmland in Tonbridge, Kent and 47 new homes approved on a designated Local Wildlife Site (LWS) in Castle Point, Essex.
In all cases, approvals have been given over the heads of local councils.
Earlier this year, other CPRE research demonstrated there is enough previously developed land (PDL) in England for 1.4 million new homes, of which almost half have already been granted planning permission.
The charity says this shows that the government can move quickly towards its UK-wide target of 1.5 million new homes with limited development on unspoilt countryside and that targeting the green belt is a choice, not a necessity.
CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said:
“In practice, the government’s grey belt policy has not been about building on petrol stations but an existential threat to the protections of the green belt.
“Our latest research shows that the policy is vague, subjective and misleading to the public. Its lack of clarity has been good news for large housebuilders but bad news for everyone who loves the countryside.
“We know from CPRE branches across the country that the situation is getting worse, as local authorities are so desperate to meet revised housing targets that they are forced to approve speculative development in the green belt.”
CPRE policy lead Emma Marrington added:
“The green belt is the countryside next door for almost 30 million people in this country. As well as having some of the country’s best-quality farmland and most important wildlife habitats, these places around our largest towns and cities play a vital role in helping to deliver the government’s target of 30% of land protected for nature by 2030.
“We’ve got to stand up for England’s green belt. Once it’s lost, it’s lost for good.”
One Response
Its not just the grey belt policy that can impact development on the green belt. If a council does not have a five year supply of housing then all land is vulnerable to hostile planning application’s as the benefit is considered to outweigh the harm. This is known as the Tilted Balance.
This is why DevAssist reports are so vital for anyone buying property.