Grey Belt
The latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introduced the concept of the Grey Belt. But what does this mean and what are the implications for Hatton and other potential new settlements in the Green Belt?
The Issue
A recent planning appeal about a traveller site on the Henley Road in Warwick has highlighted significant issues with the definition of Grey Belt. The definition has potentially wide implications for ANY proposed development in the Green Belt.
At a very late stage in the process Warwick District Council accepted that the site should be considered Grey Belt and not in the Green Belt.
The local MP, Sir Jeremy Wright, has published an excellent article on this matter which is worth reading. In summary:
-
Angela Rayner's comments in the House of Commons on 18th June 2024 about Grey Belt being disused car parks and waste land was not reflected in the December 2024 update to the NPPF.
-
The NPPF defines Grey Belt as land which does not strongly contribute to three of the central purposes of the Green Belt, i.e.
-
checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
-
preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another and
-
preserving the setting and special character of historic towns.
-
The NPPF definition goes well beyond what the Labour Party was advocating before the General Election.
The remaining two core purposes of the Green Belt are to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment and to assist in urban regeneration. These would be undermined if this development was to be approved as other applications for development in the Green Belt would inevitably follow.
Outcome of the Appeal
The inspector allowed the appeal and agreed that the site is Grey Belt. However, the reasons for allowing the appeal relate specifically to the use of the land as a Traveller Site. As a result, in our view, the decision does not create a precedent for wider development in the Green Belt.
The Inspector decided that this site did meet the relevant criteria for being classed as Grey Belt:
-
Its development would not lead to the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas.
-
Its development would not result in towns merging into one another.
-
Its development would not affect the setting or special character of historic towns.
However, this does not necessarily mean that a development should be approved. There are two further considerations:
-
Is there an unmet need for a Traveller Site? WDC could not demonstrate that there is a five year supply of deliverable traveller sites in the District.
-
Would the site be sustainable? Planning policies and the Local Plan require that local facilities should merely be a reasonable distance from the site. There is no requirement for the occupants to be able to walk / cycle / use public transport to access the facilities. The Inspector accepted that facilities were a reasonable distance away.
Hence:
-
Yes it is Grey Belt
-
Yes, it meets an unmet need
-
Yes, it is acceptable to develop this site because it is a sustainable site in the context of policies relating to traveller sites.
Full details of the planning application and appeal documents are available on the Warwick District Council website.