Green Belt land is being swallowed up by development, says CPRE
There has been significant loss of Green Belt land since 1997 and more is planned, despite the stated commitment of the prime minister to robustly protect it.
This is the key message from a Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) investigation of the government’s record on Green Belt since 1997.
CPRE’s investigation has found that:
• over 1,100 hectares of Green Belt have been lost each year since 1997 and at least 45,240 homes - equivalent to a city the size of Bath - have been built on Green Belt land since 1997;
• London Green Belt’s boundaries are being reviewed in 18 separate locations with a view to accommodating new housing development;
• Government planning inspectors are undermining the government’s claim to be upholding Green Belt policy in almost every English region, with statements suggesting that Green Belts should not be treated as permanent, and that demand for housing and air travel should justify major changes to Green Belt boundaries;
• in Nottingham, government inspectors have recommended wholesale removal of the Green Belt on three out of four sides of the city; and
• two eco-town proposals could lead to further losses of Green Belt land, contradicting the claims of Ministers that none would be built on Green Belt land.
Paul Miner, CPRE’s senior planning campaigner, said: "I am sure that ministers genuinely want to safeguard our Green Belt for future generations. But in reality the Green Belt is being seriously eroded.
"Too much development has already been permitted, and some government inspectors appear to be interpreting Green Belt policy in their own way. This is making a mockery of the permanence which Green Belts are supposed to have.
"Now we are faced with a serious downturn in the housing market. There is a real danger that government will panic and relax Green Belt protection in a rush for development at any price."
Paul Miner concluded: "We need a strong commitment by ministers in practice to uphold existing Green Belt policy. We also want the government to carry out an urgent review of these current threats to the Green Belt to avoid further losses."
Download CPRE’s briefing Green Belts – Robustly Protected or Under Threat?
Download the Green Belts under threat map
