A House of Lords committee has launched an inquiry into the new government’s plans to create a ‘grey belt’ designation for poorer-quality green belt land.
The House of Lords Built Environment Committee is looking to clarify the definition of ‘grey belt’, before looking at how it can contribute to the five-year 1.5 million home housing target.
The report will also explore what a sustainable ‘grey belt’ development will look like, as well as what infrastructure and local amenities are necessary to create a good place to live.
Lord Moylan, chair of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee, said: “Finding enough land for new housing will be key to whether the government can achieve its housing targets. Designating some green belt land as grey belt may help it to do that.
“Our inquiry will look at how the government and local authorities might identify grey belt areas thought suitable for development and how to ensure new homes are supported by the necessary infrastructure and local amenities.
“To inform our work we want to hear from as broad a range of people as possible. If you have a view on any aspect of our inquiry, look at our call for evidence and let us know what you think.”
Mark Gratton, land & partnerships director at Build to Rent specialist Wise Living, said: “It’s clear that growth within the built environment is an absolute priority for the new government, including for new homes.
“We’ve seen this already in the actions that have been taken, such as the review of the National Planning Policy Framework, the mandatory housing targets for local authorities being reinstated, with the launch of the New Homes Accelerator to support this.
“In the wider built environment, it’s interesting to see Labour’s move to appeal decisions made on larger projects such as the data centres across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
“This is good news for businesses across the UK, as previously rejected schemes such as the Premier Business Park redevelopment could gain a second chance if landowners and developers take the opportunity to bring them forward.
“The same is true for residential schemes too, as changes in policy, including those relating to greenbelt and grey belt, could place their plans in a new light.”
The committee is asking the following questions:
1. What is your assessment of the Government’s definition of “Grey Belt”?
a. What is your understanding of what makes a “limited contribution” to achieving the purposes of the Green Belt?
2. Do you think the Government’s Grey Belt proposals will contribute to delivering new homes across the country and, if so, how quickly?
a. How many new homes could be built on Grey Belt land?
b.Will the creation of a new Grey Belt category be a better way to deliver new homes in the Green Belt than the existing processes for redesignating Green Belt land?
3. Do the current proposals for identifying Grey Belt land provide local planning authorities with sufficient scope to meet their housing targets and the needs of local communities?
a. Are there any strategic considerations concerning the designation and development of Grey Belt land that may require an unusual degree of collaboration between neighbouring local authorities and, if so, what are they and how is that collaboration to be achieved?
4. Do you think the proposed sequential test for allocating land in the Green Belt for development will provide sufficient protection for “high quality” Green Belt land whilst still ensuring sufficient land is released for new housing?
a. The current NPPF designates specific categories of land as “areas of particular importance” which cannot be developed and would be excluded from being considered Grey Belt land. Should the Government review which areas receive this designation?
5. What infrastructure and local amenities are necessary to ensure that a Grey Belt housing development is a good place to live?
a. Should the identification of Grey Belt land be influenced by the proximity of public transport amenities or other services, or is this better handled through individual planning applications?
b.How can identified Grey Belt sites be connected with social infrastructure such as schools and health facilities?
6. The Government has pointed to disused petrol stations and car parks as instances of Grey Belt land. Are any additional special measures needed to support the potential decontamination of Grey Belt land, beyond those that are currently available?
7. The government has proposed a 50 per cent affordable housing target on Grey Belt sites. Is the current approach to viability assessments and s106 agreements able to deliver this?
8. In order to facilitate Grey Belt development, what flexibility in the process could be introduced without compromising the Government’s overall housebuilding objectives?
As in the current NPPF, the revised NPPF would continue to protect sites of particular importance from development. These are:
- habitats and/or designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Local Green Spaces
- Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- National Parks (or within the Broads Authority) or areas defined as Heritage Coast
- irreplaceable habitats
- designated heritage assets (and other heritage assets of archaeological interest
- areas at risk of flooding or coastal change.
