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795398

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the use of greenbelt land in local plans when there are insufficient brownfield sites.
	tabling member constituency	Halifax
	tabling member printed	Holly Lynch
	uin	115819
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2017 answer text <p>The National Planning Policy Framework encourages local authorities to prioritise re-use of suitable brownfield land for development, and to adopt Local Plan policies that support the take-up of brownfield. Moreover, each local authority is now legally required to publish a register of local brownfield land by 31 December 2017. These new registers will bring many more sites to the attention of house-builders and investors. However, brownfield sites differ, and not all will be available or in the right place for sustainable redevelopment. It is therefore for each local authority, in consultation with local people, to decide what land to allocate for development, as part of the Local Plan process.</p><p>The Framework sets out strong protections for Green Belt, stating that inappropriate development should be refused permission except in special circumstances. Green Belt boundary may be altered only in exceptional circumstances, using the Plan process. In the Housing White Paper, <em>Fixing our broken housing market,</em> we proposed that a local authority should be able to alter a Green Belt boundary only when it can show that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its development needs. Besides brownfield, the options included under-used land; optimising the density of development; and exploring whether other authorities could help. We will announce our conclusions as soon as possible in 2018.</p><p>A local authority can consider any suitable land, but should have regard to all relevant policies in the Framework. For instance, the Framework also asks local authorities to direct development away from the best and most versatile agricultural land, and to recognise the character and beauty of the countryside.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 30/11/2017 16:22:09 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4472 label Biography information for Holly Lynch

791177

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect green belt land.
	tabling member constituency	Sevenoaks
	tabling member printed	Sir Michael Fallon
	uin	114504
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2017 answer text <p>The National Planning Policy Framework sets out strong protections for the Green Belt and states that inappropriate development there should be refused planning permission unless in very special circumstances. The Framework also makes clear that a local authority may alter the shape of its Green Belt only in exceptional circumstances, using the Local Plan process. The Framework does not define these ‘exceptional circumstances’. However, in the Housing White Paper, <em>Fixing our broken housing market</em>, we proposed that a local authority should be able to alter a Green Belt boundary only when it demonstrates that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its identified development needs, including:</p><ul><li>effective use of suitable brownfield and estate regeneration;</li><li>the potential offered by under-used land (including surplus public sector land);</li><li>optimising the density of development; and</li><li>exploring whether other authorities can help to meet some of the identified development requirement.</li></ul><p>We have been analysing the consultation responses on this proposed clarification, and will announce our conclusions as soon as possible in 2018.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 22/11/2017 16:40:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon

771409

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hectares of land in England have been (a) declassified and (b) classified as greenbelt in each of the last 20 years.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	107803
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2017 answer text <p>It is for local authorities to consider changes to the Green Belt. Only in exceptional circumstances may a local authority alter its Green Belt, by means of the Local Plan process. Local authorities are expected to report any Green Belt boundary change found to be justified, to inform the Local Authority Green Belt Statistics that we publish annually. From the statistics available for past years, the figures are set out in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Total declassified area (hectares)</p></td><td><p>Total classified area (hectares)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>850</p></td><td><p>460</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>540</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>1,980</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>1,030</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>790</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>- = negligible (fewer than five hectares)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The figures included in the table are the rounded sum of unrounded values and therefore may not sum to the net changes published in the statistical releases of each year.</p><p>These figures are based on changes published in each year’s statistical release and do not reflect any subsequent revisions.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 23/10/2017 16:08:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

768878

	registered interest
	date	11/10/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what constitutes exceptional circumstances in his Department's planning guidance when applications to build on land designated as green belt are considered.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	107174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>The National Planning Policy Framework sets out strong protections for the Green Belt, and makes clear that a local authority may alter the shape of its Green Belt only in exceptional circumstances, using the Local Plan process. The Framework does not define these ‘exceptional circumstances’. However, in the Housing White Paper, <em>Fixing our broken housing market,</em> we proposed that a local authority should be able to alter a Green Belt boundary when it demonstrates that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its identified development needs, including:</p><p>- effective use of suitable brownfield and estate regeneration;</p><p>- the potential offered by under-used land (including surplus public sector land);</p><p>- optimising the density of development; and</p><p>- exploring whether other authorities can help to meet some of the identified development requirement.</p><p>We have been analysing the consultation responses on this proposed clarification, and will announce our conclusions in due course.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 16/10/2017 10:28:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

672051

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of greenbelt land in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) the North West and (c) England the public has access to.
	tabling member constituency	Blackley and Broughton
	tabling member printed	Graham Stringer
	uin	59812
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2017 answer text <p>The Government does not collect this information, but our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local authorities should seek to enhance public access and to provide opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation on Green Belt land. Relevant local authorities should have information on public footpaths and rights of way, on registered commons, and on the playing fields, parks and other open spaces they own or manage within their Green Belt. However, most Green Belt land is agricultural and privately owned.</p> answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell question first answered 17/01/2017 17:32:24 answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell previous answer version 30245 answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell
	tabling member	449 label Biography information for Graham Stringer

652278

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2016
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the difference in price between houses built on (a) greenbelt and (b) non-greenbelt land.
	tabling member constituency	Sutton Coldfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Mitchell
	uin	56198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2016 answer text <p>The Secretary of State appointed an independent inspector to carry out the examination of the Birmingham Development Plan 2031 as required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Examination hearings were heard between 21 October and 27 November 2014 at which you and members of the local community expressed your views. These were, of course, considered by the Inspector as part of his examination of this case.</p><p>The Inspector set out in his report that the vast majority of sites proposed in the Plan are on brownfield land and there is a density policy that ‘seeks to maximise the yield from each development site’.</p><p>With regard to exceptional circumstances for alterations to the Green Belt, our position is set out in the decision letter issued to Birmingham City Council on 24 November 2016. The Inspector’s concluded that even when taking consideration of the approach taken by the Council, the scale of potentially unmet need in the city is “exceptional” and that a “combination of factors means that exceptional circumstances exist to justify alterations to the Green Belt” and following consideration of the issues we found no reason to disagree.</p><p>Regarding the difference in price between houses built on green belt and non-Green Belt land, the Inspector was satisfied that the sites and growth areas within the Plan were justified and deliverable.</p><p>The housing capacity set out in the Plan includes a windfall allowance, an element of which includes capacity for smaller sites below 600 square metres.</p><p>In the consideration of reasonable alternatives to the strategic Green Belt release at Sutton Coldfield and with regard the matters above, the Inspector concluded that the evidence base is sufficient and provides adequate explanations for the Council’s decisions.</p><p>In reaching our decision to remove the holding direction we are satisfied that Birmingham City Council should be able to take further steps in connection with the adoption of the Plan and we saw no grounds to differ from the conclusions the Inspector reached. We are satisfied that Birmingham City Council has taken a robust approach that is consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework.</p> answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell grouped question UIN 56197 56199 56200 56201 question first answered 13/12/2016 15:08:13 answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell
	tabling member	1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell

600572

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2016
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to set minimum periods for the review of local plans to enable established green belt boundaries to operate without the prospect of change for longer periods.
	tabling member constituency	Christchurch
	tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
	uin	48309
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2016 answer text <p>To be effective plans need to be kept up-to-date. We expect authorities to review their Local Plan at regular intervals to assess whether some or all of it may need updating. Our guidance is clear that most Local Plans are likely to require updating in whole or in part at least every five years. However, national policy makes it clear that one of the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their permanence.</p> answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell question first answered 17/10/2016 14:47:42 answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell
	tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

582462

	registered interest
	date	13/09/2016
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will amend national planning policies so that development of land designated as Green Belt will be resisted until the implications of the UK exiting the EU, and its effect on population and household projections, have been fully assessed and new projections issued for the use of local planning authorities.
	tabling member constituency	North Warwickshire
	tabling member printed	Craig Tracey
	uin	46295
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2016 answer text <p>In line with our manifesto commitment, the government is committed to strong protection of Green Belt land. Local authorities are responsible for designating Green Belt land, as explained in our National Planning Policy Framework. Only in exceptional circumstances may a local authority alter a Green Belt boundary. Applications for most types of development within the Green Belt are inappropriate and should be refused permission except in very special circumstances. Latest figures for 2015-16 show Green Belt continuing to cover around 13 per cent of England.</p> answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell question first answered 19/09/2016 14:13:16 answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell
	tabling member	4509 label Biography information for Craig Tracey

541760

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2016
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 13 July (HL1065), which are the 24 local authorities that have adopted new green belt boundaries and what is their estimate of (1) the subsequent loss of greenbelt land, and (2) how much greenbelt land has been lost in England during the last five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL1437
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2016 answer text <p>The list of 24 local authorities (see below) that have adopted new Green Belt boundaries in the last five years will be placed in the Library of the House. This includes an estimate of the increase or decrease in Green Belt area in each case. Over the last five years the area of Green Belt nationally decreased by 0.2 per cent , and overall the Green Belt is larger than it was in 1997 if we disregard land re-classified as national park.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2014-15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Area of designated Green Belt land 2014/15 (hectares)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Change from 2013/14 (hectares)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bath and North East Somerset</p></td><td><p>24,690</p></td><td><p>-100 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bolton</p></td><td><p>7,230</p></td><td><p>-50 (-1%)</p></td><td><p>-50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Broxtowe</p></td><td><p>5,130</p></td><td><p>-20 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cheshire West and Chester</p></td><td><p>39,170</p></td><td><p>-60 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Christchurch</p></td><td><p>3,270</p></td><td><p>-200 (-6%)</p></td><td><p>-200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Dorset</p></td><td><p>16,720</p></td><td><p>-160 (-1%)</p></td><td><p>-160</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gateshead</p></td><td><p>8,530</p></td><td><p>-150 (-2%)</p></td><td><p>-150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newcastle upon Tyne</p></td><td><p>3,980</p></td><td><p>-410 (-9%)</p></td><td><p>-410</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rushcliffe</p></td><td><p>16,570</p></td><td><p>-670 (-4%)</p></td><td><p>-670</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Solihull</p></td><td><p>11,870</p></td><td><p>-40 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Three Rivers</p></td><td><p>6,720</p></td><td><p>-110 (-2%)</p></td><td><p>-10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013-14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Area of designated Green Belt land 2013/14 (hectares)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Change from 2012/13 (hectares)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rochford</p></td><td><p>12,570</p></td><td><p>-190 (-2%)</p></td><td><p>-190</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Gloucestershire</p></td><td><p>23,030</p></td><td><p>-210 (-1%)</p></td><td><p>-210</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Lancashire</p></td><td><p>34,470</p></td><td><p>-150 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012-13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Area of designated Green Belt land 2012/13 (hectares)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Change from 2011/12 (hectares)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ealing</p></td><td><p>310</p></td><td><p>-20 (-6%)</p></td><td><p>-20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Manchester</p></td><td><p>1,280</p></td><td><p>-430 (-25%)</p></td><td><p>-430</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Purbeck</p></td><td><p>8,200</p></td><td><p>+460 (+6%)</p></td><td><p>460</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wakefield</p></td><td><p>23,500</p></td><td><p>-400 (-2%)</p></td><td><p>-400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011-12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Area of designated Green Belt land 2011/12 (hectares)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Change from 2010/11 (hectares)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Chelmsford</p></td><td><p>12,850</p></td><td><p>-35 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hyndburn</p></td><td><p>3,990</p></td><td><p>-41 (-1%)</p></td><td><p>-41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Thurrock</p></td><td><p>11,920</p></td><td><p>-51 (0%)</p></td><td><p>-51</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010-11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Area of designated Green Belt land 2010/11 (hectares)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Change from 2009/10 (hectares)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Enfield</p></td><td><p>3,060</p></td><td><p>-30 (-1%)</p></td><td><p>-30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vale of WH</p></td><td><p>8,310</p></td><td><p>+5 (0%)</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slough</p></td><td><p>860</p></td><td><p>+30 (+3%)</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 02/08/2016 13:18:17 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

533697

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2016
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Green Belt
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many changes to green belt boundaries have been made in the past five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL1065
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2016 answer text <p>Between 2010/11 and 2014/15, 24 local authorities adopted new boundaries for the designated Green Belt.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 13/07/2016 15:41:21 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey