Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 5 November 2024.
Kemi Badenoch
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government), Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Minister for Women and Equalities, Leader of HM Official Opposition, Leader of the Conservative Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 30 July 2024 entitled Building the homes we need, HCWS48, what the evidential basis is for the assessment that large areas of the Green Belt have little ecological value.
Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The latest official Land Use statistics are available at gov.uk here. As these set out, 6.8% of the Green Belt is already developed land. This includes 24,400ha of land which is hardstanding (usually car parks, paved areas, tarmac, or other similar construct). Less than 13% of land in the Green Belt is subject to an environmental designation or other protected area.
In planning terms, the Green Belt serves a number of specific purposes, but the fundamental aim of green belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. The Green Belt is not an environmental designation.
Yes1 person thinks so
No2 people think not
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