Homes able to be built on Green Belt in planning shake up

Following a new Government consultation, laws related to building on Green Belt land are due to be relaxed to allow the development of new 'starter homes' for young families.
The proposals are the biggest changes to planning protection for thirty years, affecting the laws related to greenfield land around towns and cities which were introduced in 1955 to prevent urban sprawl.
The changes were published on Monday, and are likely to be welcomed by developers which have always wanted to be able to build on Green Belt land.
The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which was introduced in 2012 no longer require land lost to building to be replaced, instead this will be an option for the local council.
According to the consultation: "We consider that the current policy can hinder locally-led development and propose to amend national planning policy so that neighbourhood plans can allocate appropriate small-scale sites in the Green Belt specifically for starter homes."
Paul Miner from the Campaign to Protect Rural England commented: "We will probably see thousands more houses come through in the Green Belt as a result of these changes every year.
"The current policy isn’t working, but these proposals will make things worse. It could see a lot more planning battles in the countryside over coming years."
Starter homes are for first time buyers under the age of 40, which are sold at a 20 percent discount from the market rate. They are properties worth no more than £250,000 outside of London, or £450,000 in the capital.


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