Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis has recently issued a statement (17/1/14) which confirms the current government’s stance that planning decisions should protect green belt land from inappropriate development. Mr Lewis’ statement can be read here but of note is his statement that “the Secretary of State’s policy position that unmet need, whether for traveller sites or for conventional housing, is unlikely to outweigh harm to the green belt and other harm to constitute the ‘very special circumstances’ justifying inappropriate development in the green belt”. The emphasis on unlikely has been added by me.
I understand that Mr Lewis’ statement has been made following concerns about the extent to which planning appeal decisions are meeting the government’s clear policy intentions, particularly as to whether sufficient weight is being given to the importance of green belt protection.
Mr Lewis goes further in confirming that Ministers are considering “the case for changes to the planning definition of ‘travellers’ to reflect whether it should only refer to those who actually travel and have a mobile or transitory lifestyle” and announced that a consultation will be launched “in due course”.
Development on greenbelt land has always been an emotive issue but I am interested how the government are going to balance the increasing need for dwellings (conventional or otherwise) without conceding some ground in its clear desire to protect the green belt. If you have any thoughts or general comments I would like to hear from you.”
David Whipps is a specialist Planning Law solicitor at Holmes & Hills in Essex and Suffolk.
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