Internal data from Searchland has revealed that 3,425 planning applications previously rejected due to being on green belt land may now be eligible for approval.
With the new guidelines classifying this land as grey belt under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), these applications could lead to the construction of more than 27,000 new homes.
Searchland’s analysis covered planning applications submitted across England since 2010 that were turned down because of their green belt status.
The data indicated that there are approximately 30,597 grey belt sites nationally, which could potentially yield 3.4 million homes if developed.
If the 3,425 rejected applications are reconsidered, they could generate around 27,197 new homes, valued at an estimated £12.2bn.
The South East had the highest percentage of these applications, accounting for 21% of the national total, with the potential for 9,001 new homes worth £4.8bn.
In terms of regional breakdowns, 19% of the rejected applications were in the East of England, which could deliver 4,215 new homes.
The North West had 16%, followed by London with 12%, the West Midlands with 10%, and Yorkshire and the Humber with 10%.
Hugh Gibbs, co-founder of Searchland, said: “With the grey belt now formally recognised by the National Planning Policy Framework, developers are benefitting from a significant increase in the number of opportunities available to them.
“As our previous research found, the grey belt could potentially deliver 3.4 million new homes to the market, but it’s not just current grey belt plots that need to be considered.
Gibbs added: “Since 2010, no less than 3,425 planning applications have been rejected due to the fact they were located in green belt land.
“With the creation of the grey belt, the likelihood is that these applications are well worth revisiting as they could lead to the construction of thousands of new homes with a market value to the tune of £12.2 billion.”
