Mapped: The British green belt ‘battlegrounds’ set to see the most new houses under Labour plans

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Labour’s housebuilding drive will see a handful of towns become key “battlegrounds” for green belt development, new analysis has revealed. Across over 300 councils in England, just 21 meet the key conditions to make green belt release most likely , the report from consultancy firm Planning By Design has found. The vast majority of these are in the East and South East of England, the analysis shows, followed by two in London and two in the West Midlands. There were zero locations identified in the North. To draw its findings, Planning By Design looked at official housing delivery figures , identifying areas which are currently showing unmet housing need. These were cross referenced with green belt capacity in these locations and affordability, with areas showing above-average house price to earnings ratio considered to have higher need. Ministers revealed in August that green belt land will developed on “in exceptional circumstances” as part of its revised planning policy framework. “We want to see new homes built on them to bolster economic growth to get development in the right places,” housing minister Matthew Pennycook said. These developments will be subject to “golden rules”, including high rates of affordable housing and provision of new green spaces. The changes were made in a bid to boost Labour ’s housebuilding drive, and meet its aim to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2030, at a rate of 300,000 new builds a year. Only around 840,000 homes are expected to be under construction by mid-2029, according to property agent Savills. Housing secretary Angela Rayner said earlier this year that she remains committed to the target, but added that it was a “really difficult challenge.” open image in gallery At the end of last year, the government said that it expected councils to release “low quality” areas of green belt land ( Getty Images ) The consultancy firm says that its findings show that green belt developments are now more likely in areas where people are already priced out. England has fourteen major green belt areas, which is land that is strictly protected from most development. These form a ring around several cities and other built up areas across the country, with the intent of preventing urban sprawl. At the end of last year, the government said that it expected councils to release “low quality” areas of green belt land in their jurisdictions so that it can be re-designated as “grey belt” and developed on more easily. This came alongside a new method for assessing housing need that directs new homes to areas where they are least affordable. But some experts have warned that this approach will fail without a strict approach to affordable housing targets. Reacting to the analysis, Campaign to Protect Rural England chief planner, Jackie Copley, said: “Building on the green belt in the most expensive parts of England will do nothing to fix the housing affordability crisis.” open image in gallery Angela Rayner said earlier this year that she remains committed to Labour’s housing target, but added that it was a “really difficult challenge” ( PA ) “Developments on green belt land rarely include genuinely affordable or social rent homes. No families will be lifted out of bed and breakfast accommodation by yet more car-dependent executive estates”, she added. “In the spirit of devolution, it's time to hand elected mayors and councils the power to set their own housing targets based on local need. This approach would do more to deliver the homes communities want and can afford.” An MHCLG spokesperson said: “Building more homes in the places where they are least affordable is vital to tackling the housing crisis.” “In the limited cases where development is allowed on green belt land, it must deliver more affordable housing, better infrastructure and new or improved green spaces so local people benefit. “We’re building the homes the country needs while strongly safeguarding the green belt, with councils prioritising brownfield and other low-quality grey belt land.”