Pressure on the Green Belt has quadrupled since 2013

Despite a surge in demand for time in green space, the Green Belt – the countryside next door for 30 million people – is facing extreme and sustained pressure, according to new research from CPRE, the countryside charity.
The State of Greenbelt 2021 report reveals there are 0.25 million (257,944) homes proposed to be built on land removed from the Green Belt – more than four times as many (475 per cent increase) as in 2013. With only one in 10 considered affordable, these new homes will do little to tackle the affordable housing crisis.
This pressure is only set to increase under damaging changes to the planning system being considered by the government – the analysis reveals the new formula to determine housing supply proposed by the government could lead to at least a 35 per cent increase in housing on the Green Belt.
The report highlights a number of local case studies where increased pressure on Green Belts is leading to the loss of valuable open land for local communities.
This huge loss of countryside near where people live is in direct contradiction to overwhelming demand for access to quality time in green space and nature. A new poll, conducted by Opinium on behalf of CPRE, shows a surge in appreciation since the first lockdown for local green spaces, many of which are in our Green Belts, and found that:
•          More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of adults think protecting and enhancing green spaces should be a higher priority after lockdown
•          Almost half (46 per cent) reported visiting green spaces more since the start of lockdown – a dramatic 11 percentage point increase since April 2020
•          A total of 59 per cent reported they are more aware of the importance of these local green spaces for our mental health and well-being since lockdown
Commenting on the findings, Crispin Truman, CPRE chief executive, said: “Local countryside and green spaces have been a lifeline through lockdown. Our poll shows massive public support for protecting these places – their importance for our mental health and well-being is undeniable.
“So, to see the growing level of threat faced by the Green Belt, the countryside next door for millions of people living in our towns and cities, is extremely worrying.
“The government can and must act to stop the loss of Green Belt and ensure greater access to nature and green space is at the heart of our planning system.
“This can be done by making best use of land that’s been built on previously before even considering development on the Green Belt. The public is crying out for more access to nature, green space and countryside – it’s time ministers realised this and put people and nature at the heart of their changes to the planning system.”
Despite evidence that there is already enough space on previously-used land (known as brownfield) and other land already granted planning permission for the government to reach its housing targets for the duration of this parliament, the upcoming changes to planning look set to further increase pressure on the Green Belt.
The report lays out the consequences of this approach as only 10 per cent of the developments planned for Green Belt land between 2015 and 2020 are considered to be affordable. On this trajectory, we risk losing ever more Green Belt while having no impact on the housing crisis and providing homes local communities are able to afford.
To make sure we protect and enhance the Green Belt while allowing for the genuinely affordable new homes that are sorely needed, CPRE is urging the government to put people and nature at the heart of the forthcoming Planning Bill.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

• A number of important documents have yet to emerge. For example, a rigorous transport plan and a finalised air-quality assessment. The latter is critical given that allocations at Teynham will feed extra traffic into AQMAs.
• There seems to be no coherent plan for infrastructure delivery – a key component of the plan given the allocations being proposed near the already crowded Junction 7.
• There seems to have been little or no cooperation with neighbouring boroughs or even parish councils within Swale itself.

The removal of a second consultation might have been understandable if this final version of the plan were similar to that being talked about at the beginning of the consultation process. It is, however, radically different in the following ways:

• There has been a major shift in the balance of housing allocations, away from the west of the borough over to the east, especially around the historic town of Faversham. This is a move that raises many concerns.
• A new large allocation, with accompanying A2 bypass, has appeared around Teynham and Lynsted, to which we are objecting.
• Housing allocations in the AONB around Neames Forstal that were judged “unsuitable” by the council’s own officers have now appeared as part of the housing numbers.
• Most of the housing allocations being proposed are on greenfield sites, many of them on Grade 1 agricultural land – a point to which we are strongly objecting.

Concerns about the rush to submit the plan

The haste with which the plan is being prepared is especially worrying given the concentration of housing in Faversham. If the town is to take a large amount of new housing, it is imperative that the policies concerning the area are carefully worked out to preserve, as far as possible, the unique nature of the town. The rush to submit the plan is likely to prove detrimental.

As Swale does not have a five-year land housing supply, it is open to speculative development proposals, many of which would run counter to the ideas contained in the current plan. Some are already appearing. This is a common situation, and one that, doubtless, is a reason behind Swale’s haste.

Our overriding fear, however, is that this emphasis on haste is ultimately going to prove counterproductive. This is because it is our view that the plan, in its current form, is unlikely to pass independent examination. We are urging Swale to listen to and act upon the comments being made about the plan and to return the plan to the council with appropriate modifications before submitting it to the Secretary of State.

Essentially, this means treating the current consultation not as the final one but as the ‘lost’ second consultation.

The consultation ends on Friday 30 April and we strongly urge residents to make their opinions known if they have not already done so.

Further information

• Read more on the Swale Local Plan
• Read CPRE Kent’s detailed comments on the plan
• View the council’s consultation document