Over the weekend, it was announced by a number of media outlets in the UK that the government has planned to build more than double the amount of new homes in green belt and rural areas than first thought.
In statistics released by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, it is believed 150,000 homes and commercial premises are being planned in areas thought to have initially been earmarked for 81,000 homes in August 2012. As has been covered in a previous blog post by us, the planning laws were changed last year to make it easier for people to develop and speed up the process of planning decisions.
It will comes as a surprise to many – and raise concerns among green belt and rural campaigners on the government’s commitment to maintaining the ‘green lungs’ of many of our most important towns and cities. The UK’s housing minister, Mark Prisk, has reiterated the government’s dedication to maintaining green belt protections.
England’s green belts cover 13% of the land in this country – more information can be found on the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s website. If you have further queries about green belt developments, planning permission decisions, enforcement notices or planning permission objections, Kingsley Smith Solicitors would be delighted to help. Contact us today to find out more about we can do for you.