Councils Must Protect Our Precious Green Belt Land

Eric Pickles and Brandon Lewis have said that thousands of brownfield sites are available for development, and should be prioritised.  New guidance, published on 6 October, reaffirms how councils should use their Local Plan, drawing on protections in the National Planning Policy Framework, to safeguard their local area against urban sprawl, and protect the green lungs around towns and cities. The guidance explains that, once established, green belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan. It also states that housing need – including for traveller sites – does not justify the harm done to the green belt by inappropriate development. Read more on the CLG website.