Victoria Du Croz speaks to FT and others on Labour’s plans to develop “grey-belt” land
The Labour government has introduced significant changes to England’s planning system, concerning the development of low-grade greenbelt land. As part of Labour’s plans, there was a commitment that 50% of homes built on this land would be affordable, however, this has been dropped due to concerns about financial viability. Instead, the plans pivot to alternative “grey belt” land being open for redevelopment, requiring that these projects include 15 percentage points more affordable housing than other local projects.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook explained that this adjustment aims to avoid an inundation of developers asking for exceptions to the 50% rule, whilst reducing the risk of unviability scuppering rural new build projects.
Speaking to numerous publications, Victoria Du Croz, Head of Planning, warns: “Without increased clarity the definition of grey belt will be played out at appeal and in the courts, delaying planning applications and fundamentally delaying the provision of new homes.”
Read the full articles here in the Financial times, Architects Journal, BE News, CoStar, and MailOnline.
