Page 30 - Oxted Local October 2024

30 October 2024
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Oxted Local 
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When ‘Green Belt’ When ‘Green Belt’
could become could become
‘Grey Belt’ ‘Grey Belt’
Local council leaders are
fighting government plans
that threaten to devastate
the Green Belt. This
district, which contains
the highest proportion of
the protected land of any council
area in the country, is particularly
at risk.
The Government seems to be
breaking an election promise
- made in its election manifesto
only this summer – to “preserve”
the Green Belt and keep “its
purpose and general extent”.
In fact ministers are mounting
the greatest assault on it since
its establishment some 70 years
ago, one expected to lead to the
concreting of vast areas of pristine
countryside.
The plans – which were put out to
a public consultation ending last
month (Sept)– envisage carving a
new category of land out of the
Green Belt. Dubbed “grey belt” this
would lose its protection and be
open to development.
The Government has suggested
that the “grey belt” would be
limited to disused car parks and
petrol stations and other eyesores,
including waste land. But, in fact,
its official definition – hidden deep
in the plans - includes much virgin
countryside.
The top planning consultancy Lichfields has estimated that more
than half a million acres of Green Belt could fall foul of the definition
nationwide. Another consultancy, SLR has concluded that Tandridge
will be more affected than any other district in Surrey, with over 12,000
acres eligible to be reclassified as grey belt.
Nor is that all. Other provisions in the plans make it clear that, once a
council has built on its “grey belt” land, it will have to start concreting
over even the best of its Green Belt, even if it serves its purposes, such
as preventing urban sprawl.
This is likely to happen widely because the Government has also
greatly increased rural councils’ housebuilding targets and made them
mandatory. Tandridge’s target has been upped to 773 homes a year: at
present it is only able to build an average of 232.
Richard Knox-Johnson, Chairman of the London Green Belt Council,
warns of “devastation”.
If that were not enough, Tandridge is also at risk of a developers’ free-
for-all over the next few years following the failure of the local plan
drawn up by the previous Conservative administration, with Lib Dem
backing, after an officially-appointed inspector declined to approve
it. Districts without an approved local plan in place are wide open to
speculative development.
Tandridge Council, now run by residents’ groups, is now drawing up
a new plan, and fighting the Government’s new proposals. Its leader
Catherine Sayer calls the new target “a huge challenge” adding: “We
have never built that number annually before”. She points out that the
district is 94% Green Belt and has two National Landscapes, Surrey Hills
(which is being expanded) and High Weald.
She told Oxted Local: “To get anywhere close to meeting the new
target risks development on a large number of high harm sites, as well
as urban sprawl and degrading local environments. I am very anxious
that that does not happen.”
By Geoffrey Lean