4 INDUSTRY NEWS
FROM THE EDITOR
James Parker
When you read a frothing press release from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (or ‘CPRE – The Countryside Charity’ according to their slightly cuddlier new branding), there’s naturally a sense of ‘they would say that, wouldn’t they?’ But when they extrapolate an admittedly interesting analysis of the 13-strong handful of grey belt schemes so far given planning to a prediction for the “vast majority” of homes to be built under the new classifi cation, you have to sound the alarm.
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It may not quite be fake news, but while 88% of the homes permitted for grey belt developments in the survey may be on “previously undeveloped green belt countryside,” going from that to such a clickbait conclusion is questionable at best. We know that grey belt is going to be land in the green belt, so the idea that it will only be on previously developed land is fanciful. Whether or not the permittted sites count as ‘countryside’ in most people’s reckoning, however, is unclear.
f course, brownfi eld should be the presumption for new development, but of course, the reality is that in many cases it just won’t be viable. So grey belt is a great idea, ‘undesirable’ land unnecessarily lumped into the green belt freed up for development. f course, the proof is in how the ‘golden rules’ policy is carried out, and potentially local planners need as lot more direction on the ‘shades of grey’ they need to employ.
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The CPRE says the “approvals have been granted over the heads of local councils, and how true this is, is debatable. They are again not wrong to point out the lack of clarity on grey belt policy, but rather than just alleging that this is allowing “large housebuilders to reap the rewards (from all 13 schemes). But it would be more constructive to talk about how the Government could go about improving the “vague, subjective, misleading” policy, rather than stoking the ames of what is already a very febrile local situation.
One much clearer policy, designed to limit developments’ impact on nature via adding 10 BNG, is perhaps less easy to swallow by dint of its clarity. In November, the Environmental Audit Committee of MPs decided however that nature “should not be a scapegoat for housebuilding issues. ore help is needed here.
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After a challenging 2025, I would like to wish you a peaceful, happy and relaxing Christmas break. If we don’t get the Warm Homes Plan as promised by the end of the year, I hope it’s soon in anuary, for everyone’s sakes. But if not, hopefully you will still have a warm and merry festive period with your loved ones!
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We should protect ‘unspoilt’ green land, and clearly a car park doesn’t fall into that category. Given the goals, even golf courses can’t be described as ‘undeveloped,’ and can’t be immune from consideration. erhaps where CRE is right is that we should be prioritising protection of existing agricultural land instead, but they say that the consented schemes so far include some homes on Grade 1 farmland (in Tonbridge, Kent). This is a real problem, and with agricultural land making up two-thirds of green belt land, it’s a problem that won’t go away.
Managing Editor James Parker
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