Some greenbelt site serve the 5 stated objectives of the greenbelt better than others.
Small greenbelt sites on the current fringe of existing urbanised areas, that do little to:
- check unrestricted sprawl ,
- do little to prevent neighbouring settlements from merging
- do not safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
- do not preserve the setting and special characteristics of historical areas
- do little to encorage the regeneration and recycling of derelict and other urban land
have been ignored for sites large sites that do contribute more to the above.
In developing the large selected sites (most of which are currently productive farmland) in the few preffered locations there will be more urban sprawl, settlements will merge, the open countryside will be encroached upon, and because they are big there will be no real incentive to recycle derelict urban land. This is what is being proposed as the "best solution" in the "best locations".
The "consideration" of sites submitted has not taken into account how each site contributes to the greenbelt objectives. The selection of the few preffered locations did not consider the 5 greenbelt objectives. The remainder of this document is the result. Read all about the "best" solution RDC can muster in the next few pages.