The Green Belt

(18) Protection of the Green Belt

The District is predominantly Green Belt. National policy on the Green Belt is contained within Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 - Green Belts (PPG2). This states that the five purposes of including land within the Green Belt are as follows:

• To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
• To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another;
• To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
• To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
• To assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

PPG2 also states that development should not be permitted in the Green Belt unless it is for any of the following purposes:

• Agriculture and Forestry (unless Permitted Development Rights withdrawn);
• Essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation, for cemeteries, and for other uses of land which preserve the openness of the Green Belt and which do not conflict with the purposes of including land in it;
• Limited extension, alteration or replacement of existing dwellings;
• Limited infilling in existing villages, and limited affordable housing for local community needs under development plan policies according with PPS3; and
• Limited infilling or redevelopment of major existing developed sites identified in adopted local plans (see Annex C of PPG2 for further details).

The application of Green Belt policy has helped protect the historic fabric of the District; prevent encroachment of development into the countryside; protect natural features, flora, fauna and their habitats; and safeguard the countryside to provide recreational opportunities.

We recognise that diverting development and population growth away from rural areas to existing urban areas can also assist in achieving sustainability objectives.

We will continue to apply a restrictive suite of policies to preserve the character of its countryside. However, a small proportion of the District's land that is currently allocated as Green Belt will have to have its designation reviewed due to the requirements to develop additional housing and employment, together with the limited opportunity to accommodate development outside of the Green Belt, as identified in our 2007 Urban Capacity Study.

Previous community involvement exercises have made it clear to us that the District's residents consider the protection of the Green Belt to be very important. We acknowledge this and will seek to minimise the amount of Green Belt land released by prioritising land outside of the Green Belt for development, and, where Green Belt release is unavoidable, ensuring that developments occur at a reasonably high density to limit the amount of Green Belt land developed.

The term 'Green Belt' refers to a planning designation and is not necessarily a description of the land. Land designated as Green Belt can include, primarily for historical reasons, developed land and brownfield sites. As such, whilst it is considered that all land currently designated as Green Belt helps achieve the five Green Belt purposes as set out in PPG2 to at least a degree, some Green Belt land is more worthy of protection than others. We will examine the degree to which current Green Belt land is helping to achieve the purposes of the Green Belt when considering reallocating the land.

We consider that there are a number of strategic buffers that are particularly worthy of mention as they play a key role in preventing the coalescence of settlements and thus help preserve the identity of the District's towns and villages.

(2) Rural Diversification, Green Tourism and Recreational Uses

Whilst the District is predominantly Green Belt, only 3% of its VAT registered businesses are agricultural - less than the regional and national averages. It is recognised that diversification into other forms of economic activity is necessary if farms are to remain viable. There is concern that our current restrictive approach to the Green Belt will not allow the District to achieve its vision of green tourism developing in the District and may hinder rural diversification. However, any over relaxation of Green Belt policies would be harmful to the character of the Green Belt, undermine the purposes of including land within it, and be contrary to sustainability objectives. A balance needs to be struck.