Three in four (75%) residential appeals for planning permission have been approved since the ‘grey belt’ policy was introduced in December 2024, analysis from planning and development consultancy Marrons shows.
Introduced in the revised NPPF on 12 December 2024, grey belt designations identify lower-performing areas of Green Belt land that can be released for development where it is appropriate and delivers community benefits.
Some 18 of 24 major residential schemes – defined as developments of 10 or more dwellings – were given the green light.
Overall, 48 of 111 residential grey belt appeals were allowed, a success rate of 43%. Major housing schemes make up 22% of total residential grey belt appeals and 38% of approved residential schemes.
Roland Brass, planning director at Marrons, said: “Grey belt policy continues to be a game changer for achieving major residential planning permissions.
“The data shows that larger sites in particular are much more likely to succeed, which is crucial for unlocking the scale of development we need to address the housing crisis.
“While the overall proportion of major residential appeals allowed has dipped slightly since our last report, the policy is still performing and creating new opportunities across the country in sustainable and logical locations where there is a need for new homes.
“It is also important to acknowledge that more major schemes are being granted planning permission locally and this impacts on the number of appeals.”
The larger the site, the more likely it is to get approved.
Developments of 200 or more dwellings were all approved, those with 100-199 dwellings achieved a 71% success rate, 50-99 dwellings were 100% approved, and 20-49 dwellings saw a 67% approval rate.
Regionally, the South East remains the primary hotspot, accounting for 35% of appeals, though its dominance has declined from 52%.
The East of England now represents 26% of appeals, with the West Midlands and North West each at 11% – reflecting a wider geographical spread of grey belt activity.
Brass added: “Given the number of planning applications that have been submitted over the past six months we expect overall numbers – for both local decision and appeals – to increase over the next year, particularly with the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
“Importantly, grey belt policy is not just about housing; it is also supporting a range of land uses including commercial, infrastructure, energy and community projects, which provide benefits to local areas.
“Grey belt policy has helped these schemes come forward and it is important for the industry to showcase the benefits of this policy, which is also protecting the most valuable parts of the Green Belt.”
