Greenfield pressures

14 November 2007 - Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/20

Inside Out looks at the planning debate around Downlands Farm, 18 hectares of green fields on the outskirts of Uckfield in East Sussex. We also demystify the land development process with the help of Chris Shepley's insider guide to planning.

Nestled in between the Weald of Sussex and the South Downs the gently sloping hills around Downlands Farm include some of the most valuable ancient woodland in Britain.

But by this time next year you could be looking at a building site for three new villages, 750 new homes and an industrial estate.

The council, locals and environmentalists are against it - but the alternative view is that if we don't build on land like this, then soon we'll run out of houses.

It may be outside the council's local plan for housing but as central government pushes for more houses to go up, developers are looking to build and local plans are being over turned by the secretary of state.

Former government planning inspector Chris Shepley was once a head of planning in local government.

He is also a Past President of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He now runs his own planning consultancy.

In this web exclusive he demystifies the planning process and explains the technical jargon surrounding the development of sites such as Downlands Farm.

What is brownfield land?

It seems pretty simple. Brownfield land is land which has been developed before. Greenfield land hasn't.

And everyone agrees that the new houses which we need should be built on the brownfield land.

But of course planning wouldn't be planning if it wasn't more complicated than that.
Some brownfield land is really rather useful as it is - perhaps as a wildlife sanctuary; or is impossible to develop - perhaps because it is contaminated or inaccessible.
And some greenfield land is actually pretty scruffy.

Furthermore it is generally agreed that there is not enough brownfield land for all the houses we need.

Savage arguments rage about the figures but 60% on brownfield seems to be the norm - though this is much easier to find in big cities or old industrial areas than in the counties where much of the housing demand lies.

How many houses should we provide?

Regional Strategies tell local planners how many houses they must provide for.

And then they set out in their plans to find as much suitable brownfield land as they can.

But almost always they can't find all they need and have to include some virgin fields. This makes people unhappy.

What is the Green Belt?

The "Green Belt" is different kettle of fish.

Not all greenfield land is in the Green Belt - only some of it, around the main cities.
And not all Green Belt land is pretty.

Many people think that it would be better to build on some of it - for example near to railway stations, so people can travel easily without using cars.

But in reality it is pretty fiercely protected, and very little development happens there.

How does it differ from green wedges?

In some other countries there are Green "wedges" or "fingers" penetrating into the City, separated by development along public transport routes, rather than a "Belt".

Planning is not rocket science. It is much more difficult than that.

Chris Shepley

 

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