A Green Belt in the UK is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail. The fundamental aim of green belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open, and consequently the most important attribute of green belts is their openness. These areas that are kept in reserve for an open space, are most often found around larger cities.
According to the NPPF, there are five stated purposes of including land within the green belt:
- URBAN SPRAWL – To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
- COALESCENCE – To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another
- ENCROACHMENT To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
- CHARACTER PRESERVATION – To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
- ASSIST URBAN REGENERATION – To assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land – brownfield sites.
Once an area of land has been defined as green belt, the stated opportunities and benefits include:
- Providing opportunities for access to the open countryside for the urban population
- Providing opportunities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation near urban areas
- The retention of attractive landscapes and the enhancement of landscapes, near to where people live
- Improvement of damaged and derelict land around towns
- The securing of nature conservation interests
- The retention of land in agricultural, forestry and related uses.
Even though green belt designated areas must not be built upon, that does not mean that no buildings can be erected in green belt. There is however still a positive view in buildings for agricultural uses and sanitation facilities, where development would not be refused.
In some cases, it is also possible to change the use of land in green belt and even gain permission for structures that are officially not allowed in green belt.
The Government formerly set out its policies and principles towards green belts in England and Wales in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2: Green Belts, but this planning guidance was superseded by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012. Planning Authorities are strongly urged to follow the NPPF’s detailed advice when considering whether to permit additional development in the green belt. In the green belt there is a general presumption against inappropriate development, unless very special circumstances can be demonstrated to show that the benefits of the development will outweigh the harm caused to the green belt. The NPPF sets out what would constitute appropriate development in the green belt.
