The Government’s greybelt policy, introduced as part of the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), will not significantly help meet housebuilding targets, according to the House of Lords Built Environment Committee.
The committee’s inquiry found that the policy was rushed and poorly considered.
Although it had the potential to open up development on the edges of rural settlements, the final NPPF published in December diminished its prospects.
The framework requires local authorities to review Green Belt boundaries for possible alterations if they cannot meet housing needs through other means.
Research found uncertainty surrounding the actual number of homes that could be built on greybelt land, with estimates varying from 50,000 to four million.
The committee also found that the Government’s lack of a clear plan to track the progress and assess the effectiveness of its policies compounds this uncertainty.
There were concerns that the Government does not fully understand the implications of multiple intersecting planning policies introduced at once, which could hinder effective delivery of housing initiatives.
The committee also noted that even if new homes are constructed on greybelt land, considerations such as public transport and social infrastructure will play a key role in determining their sustainability.
Lord Moylan, chair of the Built Environment Committee, said: “Last autumn our committee launched this inquiry into ‘grey belt land’ because the committee believed that this new category could make a positive contribution to meeting housing targets.
“The Government’s policy been implemented in a somewhat rushed and incoherent manner.
“The committee does not believe that it is likely to have any significant or lasting impact on planning decision-making or helping the Government achieve its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.”
Moylan added: “In December the Government published the final NPPF and the revisions it has made to the framework have now made the concept of grey belt land largely redundant as land will now be more likely to be released from the Green Belt through existing channels instead.
“The Government also does not seem to have any plan to measure progress or determine the success of this policy.
“Effective policy must be evidence based and be able to demonstrate its efficacy. Sadly, this is not the case here.”
