Overview

This bill aims to protect England's Green Belt land by creating a national register, restricting de-designation, and controlling development on land that has been removed from the Green Belt.

Description

The bill establishes a public register of all Green Belt land in England as of January 1st, 2025. This register will be updated to reflect any future changes in designation, clearly identifying land removed from (Former Green Belt) or added to (New Green Belt) the protected areas. The bill significantly restricts the ability of local authorities to remove land from the Green Belt. De-designation is only permitted if an equivalent or larger area of land is designated as a replacement, meeting specific criteria. This replacement land must: be adjacent to existing high-density housing, meet national planning policy guidelines and be of equivalent or greater size to the land to be de-designated. Furthermore, new development on land previously designated as Green Belt (Former Green Belt land) cannot exceed the density of adjoining properties.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending figures. The costs will likely involve establishing and maintaining the national register, administrative processes related to de-designation applications and enforcing the new regulations.

Groups Affected

• Local Authorities: Will face significant restrictions on their power to de-designate Green Belt land, requiring them to find suitable replacement land and potentially impacting local planning decisions.
• Developers: Will experience limitations on building on land previously designated as Green Belt, particularly concerning housing density restrictions.
• Environmental Groups: Likely to view the bill positively, as it strengthens Green Belt protection.
• Residents: Those living near Green Belt land could see impacts from both increased protection and potential restrictions on development in their areas.

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