Martin Horwood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Martin Horwood on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of housing proposed on what had been designated Green Belt land in 2010 in adopted and emerging Local Plans.

Nick Boles

It is for local authorities in conjunction with their communities to assess development needs and plan to meet them in a way which is consistent with national policy. Our planning reforms have strengthened the role of Local Plans and abolished the previous administration’s undemocratic Regional Strategies which imposed housing targets and Green Belt reviews. This returns power to local authorities and communities to determine whether it is appropriate to develop on Green Belt land, taking into account the strong protections in the National Planning Policy Framework.

This Government attaches great importance to Green Belt as a way to prevent sprawl and encroachment on open countryside, and as a vital ‘green lung’ for many communities. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that openness and permanence are essential characteristics of Green Belt. And that Green Belt boundaries can only be revised in exceptional circumstances through the Local Plan process. Planning guidance published on 6 March re-affirmed Green Belt protection.