A COUNCILLOR has warned new national grey belt rules will limit the ability of local authorities to protect green spaces from housing developments across Lichfield and Burntwood.
Cllr Thomas Marshall, Conservative representative for Armitage with Handsacre at Lichfield District Council, made his comments at a planning committee meeting where approval was granted for 72 new homes on land in Whittington.
The scheme had drawn criticism from councillors and local residents, but officers at the local authority highlighted the plot would be classified as grey belt under new Government guidance.
The term has been introduced to help meet housing targets and will allow construction in some green belt areas, such as those located on the edge of existing settlements.
But Cllr Thomas Marshall said the new approach left the green belt at risk going forward – and limited what councillors could do to manage development in local areas.
He told the planning committee meeting:
“I think we’re going to be facing a lot of these situations.
“We’ve got a development which is outside the village boundary within what is the green belt, but of course it can now arbitrarily be termed grey belt because of changes in rules brought about by Labour Government.
“I do fear we’re going to be seeing more of these applications.
“We’d like to be a plan-led council rather than a developer-led council. I do worry that we are going to become the latter because of the rules that now apply.
“It’s making planning committees and local authorities less powerful in terms of development they wish to see.”
Cllr Marshall said that while he recognised that there was a need to consider demand for new homes, the need to manage where they are built was crucial.
He added:
“How many more communities are going to have to have developments tagged on to their village boundaries?
“I know one of the rules here is to show there is a demand for houses. Well there is a demand for those houses because young people need somewhere to live. So it would be churlish of me to say that we shouldn’t be allowing houses to be built somewhere.
“I’m all for good development, but I’m also for good development in the right places.
“I have a feeling this is going to be something we’re facing up to an awful lot going forward because green belt status – which has been sacrosanct since 1947 – is under threat in a way which we’re all aware of.
“The problem is when you see it unfolding in front of your eyes, it is very concerning.”
