Some 1.5 million new homes would equate to using under 3% of the green belt, meaning the amount of land used to achieve Labour’s housebuilding target is relatively modest, analysis from property consultancy Carter Jonas has revealed.
Clearly the land take of green belt is likely to be far lower, as brownfield and non-green belt land is being prioritised.
The amount of land designated as green belt increased by 1.6% the two years to April 2023.
David Churchill, partner at Carter Jonas, said: “Our research shows that housing need can be met without substantial loss to the green belt.
“We are not advocating all new homes being located on the green belt but are suggesting that there are strategic benefits in releasing some green belt land for housing.
“For example, it could reduce the number of ‘leapfrogging’ developments – those located further from urban areas than is desirable, which increase residents’ carbon footprints through extensive commutes and impacts on both businesses’ and residents’ proximity to urban centres.”
As it stands 6.8% of green belt land has been developed, compared to 9.0% for non-green belt land.
Of that, the majority is used for transport and hardstanding, such as car parks, paved or tarmacked areas, accounting for 5.2% and 6.1% of Green Belt and non-Green Belt land, respectively.
Land developed for buildings accounts for just 1.2% of green belt land, and 2.5% that’s not green belt.
Churchill added: “The green belt is primarily a planning policy tool with the original objective of preventing urban sprawl.
“Priorities for green open spaces are changing. Unsurprisingly, there is mounting pressure to allow more development on green belt land in response to the housing crisis. In most cases such developments can generate considerable new recreational space.
“Consequently, new communities may be better provided for by addressing today’s priorities for open spaces, such as providing for health and wellbeing and biodiversity net gain, as opposed to leaving the land in its current unbuilt state.”
Labour has advocated for reclassifying some areas of the green belt as the ‘grey belt’.