Who ever thought the words GREY and PLANNING would constitute one of the most exciting news stories of the week?

Finally, the technical definition of what constitutes GREY BELT is out for consultation.

But what does it mean in simple terms and does it create an opportunity for clients?

The Headlines...
Less beautiful areas of the Green Belt will be deemed GREY BELT and released to increase the supply of housing

The Technical Definition…
‘land in the green belt comprising previously developed land and any other parcels of land that make a limited contribution to the five green belt purposes, but excluding those areas or assets of particular importance.’

What it really means…
The Government are looking to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next 5 years. That results in pressure on local councils to deliver housing on identified sites or lose a degree of control over where they go. Taking the North East as an example, this will result in circa 8,500 extra houses per annum. In many areas, there is simply not enough land for the houses without going into the green belt so the new policy sets out how green belt will be assessed.

So it will work like this:

- Land outside of the Green Belt will be considered first.
- Then previously developed (brownfield) land in the Green Belt.
- After that Green Belt sites will be assessed as to what contribution they make to the green belt and their suitability.
- If that checks out, there is a presumption in favour of consent being granted.

Sound great but…

There is a lot of detail behind this. Non Green Belt sites will be considered first and it still requires each site to be assessed on its own merits and as to how it sits in the local context of landscape and policy. Then there is still the usual matter of the ‘ologies’ to support an application and the planning system to navigate. Affordable housing expectations will be higher for Grey Belt sites.

So what should clients do?...

Talk to us. Our specialist team of Planning Consultants, Architects and Development Surveyors have a unique skillset in assessing the potential for clients’ land. More than ever, this multi-factor assessment is essential in allowing land to realise its potential, making the most of the current opportunity and doing so in a manner to suit clients’ budgets.

In light of the current consultation, we are offering a free initial Grey Belt and Development Potential assessment for Green Belt and other land with development potential. Contact us on 0333 920 2220 for a no obligation discussion.

Oh……… and also, the bits you may have missed behind the headlines:

Increased Support for Renewable Energy Projects – these will get an easier ride through planning. Out team have seen a massive increase in solar, battery storage and wind projects over the past 6 months.

New Towns – these are going to be a significant focus to turbo-charge the housing supply. Our experience from a number of real successful projects is that they take several years to get out of the ground and require complex and specialist advice on matters such as equalisation, infrastructure and land deals.

Consider the tax –  we are encouraging all clients to consider the tax position of potential development. Development uplift can be significant and net income after tax should be the focus of good promotion and tax planning. With tax rates about to change, good planning is more important than ever.