Conservation groups are concerned about the number of houses being built in green belt zones. Environmental group Campaign to Protect Rural England notes that over 150,000 houses are being planned for construction on green belt land in 2013.
The figure is a shocking increase form the 81,000 homes planned in green belt land in the last year. The group claims that new reforms have made it difficult for homes to be rejected by city councils and environmental regulators.
Housing minister Mark Prisk has commented on the concerns of the group, claiming that green belt land was not under threat and that the land would be protected from any large-scale development.
However, the large increase in the number of houses being planned for green belts around the country concerns more than just environmental groups. The country’s 14 green belts make up 13 percent of land and are located outside major cities.
This makes them an essential environmental feature for all urban dwellers, offering access to the countryside for millions of Britons. Mr Prisk noted that the green belts provide a vital ‘green lung’ for Britain’s major cities and towns.
The increase in new housing in the green belt areas has been caused by updated and revised planning laws that make it easier for developers to create new homes. Many of these new homes have been built in the green belts, activists claim.
Environmental campaigners also claim that the new laws make it difficult to oppose development in conservation areas. Despite this, the government insists that green belts will be protected against excessive or environmentally unsafe development.
Activists have complained that despite promises from the government that green belt land will be protected, the growing level of development indicates that many ministers were ignoring their promises to protect England’s countryside.
