Sir Keir Starmer has announced the government will be taking steps to override current planning restrictions to deliver a 370,000 home-per-year building programme.
Councils may be forced to consider building on land that is currently protected under the green belt as part of the plan to deliver 1.5 million homes and take decisions on 150 major infrastructure projects this parliament.
The prime minister said: “Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.”
The upcoming new national planning policy framework, which sets out the government's planning policies and how they should be applied, will still prioritise brownfield applications.
Planning committees will be obliged to pass through any proposals that are on land that has been previously developed for industrial or commercial purposes.
But the government has asked councils to consider what green-belt land might be lower quality and lend itself to development projects.
This has meant that “grey-belt” land will be defined for the first time.
What is green-belt land?
These are zones around towns and cities that have been ringfenced to be kept free of urban sprawl and to protect wildlife.
The green-belt initiative was made commonplace by the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Around 31 per cent of English green-belt land is in and around London
The green belt in England covers approximately 6,326sq miles and is positioned around big cities – including a ring around greater London, Epping Forest, Richmond Park and the Chiltern Hills are all examples of green-belt land around London.
The green belt is different to what is known as ‘greenfield’ land, an area that has had little to no prior development but has no protection in the same way.
Brownfield sites, instead, have had previous development but could be primed for a new project.
Building on the green belt is often a contentious issue but the government seems primed to increasingly step in to force through developments before councils in order to meet its targets.
An 8,400 home development in Kent has been approved on green-belt land, following government intervention, despite local concern, reports the BBC.
What is grey-belt land?
The updated national planning policy framework is set to define what grey-belt land is for the first time. It is considered to be poorer quality green-belt land, as identified by councils.
While we are still awaiting an absolute definition, the government has set out its principles for what the new grey belt could include.
These so-called golden rules will require developers looking to build on the green belt to provide:
In addition, the government will provide £100m to councils and 300 more planning officers to speed up the application process.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing needs.
“The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”
Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake responded to say: “Labour will bulldoze through the concerns of local communities.
“If Labour really want homes to be built where they are needed, they must think again.”
