Major developed sites in the Green Belt

The new Prime Minister Keir Starmer has coined the phrase “grey belt” referring to the parts of the Green Belt that aren’t green – such as “disused car parks” and “dreary wasteland”. It is also reported that this could include “some green spaces with little intrinsic beauty or character”. These, he says, have potential for new housing development.

But over and above this, there is a wider range of developed land that can support investment with consequential benefits for local towns and the host city if there is the political will. National policy used to explicitly recognise these locations as Major Developed Sites (MDS) but this was removed by the 2012 NPPF. Without clear support, this land and its uses has been stifled by restrictive Green Belt policy that does not recognise the land’s varied characteristics and capacity to accommodate development without harming the Green Belt. This can be redevelopment for new houses but can also be for other uses, or to enable existing businesses to improve their facilities so they can remain competitive and continue delivering a range of important services.

Whilst there is broad guidance nationally, clearer, tailored local policy is needed to help businesses with certainty to plan for the long term future of their developed land in the Green Belt and make a positive contribution to the country’s economic performance. This Insight Focus looks at how current national Green Belt planning guidance is affecting development of local Green Belt policies and the importance for businesses to be aware of this and how they can influence the process.