Some aspects of Labour’s draft housing policies are promising. But others are confused. The function of green belts is an example. Are they to be a public amenity? 90% of open countryside is private – public access is denied.
According to Housing Today (Joey Gardiner, 26 June 2023);the shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy says if elected the Labour Party will empower combined local authorities to use development corporations to identify areas of green belt to declassify this protection, and enable the DC’s to build on the land.
Using combined authorities to set up DC’s-first tick. Enabling them to decide which green belt should be retained, and which shouldn’t-second tick. Empowering them to build homes on the declassified land-third tick. Worthy first steps? Yes certainly,, but clear proof of of muddled thinking too. Which may be deadly to achieving Labour’s delivery. aspirations for lots of new homes, needed by. the young and which are supported by local residents.
Green belt’s historic role is to stop urban sprawl. Few challenge this purpose. Urban sprawl was the. bane of nineteen twenties and thirties England. But it is a historic role. Introduced in 1947, two generations ago.. It is not an enabling role. Instead it extends a denial role. Besides. stopping builders building you and I can’t go on the green belt land, to walk, to picnic or to explore because like 90% of the open countryside ini England it is privately owned and subject to the law of trespass. If you do trespass on the green belt you may be peremptorily ordered off by the owner. Have no fear though.. You can drive or bicycle past it. Or you can walk past it. Occasionally if you are lucky and there is a public footpath you can walk along a narrow strip of it as well. We saw during the.COVID 19 lockdowns the need for access to more public open space.
How do Labour now proceed? Give the new development corporations power to introduce spatial use policies for their combined areas. Charge them to look two generations ahead. Charge them to look at at their residents future housing.needs; their present and future public open space needs in urban and in rural areas too. DC’s will have new spatial policy powers. With these they can negotiate with land owners access agreements: immediate access; short term and long term access agreements. In return some owners will receive preferential outline consents for changes of land use in the future. This step will unblock the housing land supply pipeline with landowner. and local residents support. Who builds what on the new land supply will be decided by the DC. If the DC’s are led by shrewd leaders, they buy the strategic sites early, at open market value, when the valuers say there is little or no hope value.
Ian Campbell
26 June 2023
