Environmental campaigners have been up in arms in response to the pro-development reforms to planning laws in the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF),  due to take effect in April 2012. Research by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) revealed that some local authorities are attempting to redraw the boundaries of green belt in their areas to make way for new housing.

Asset Land feel that the research has given rise to a knee-jerk response from environmentalists who are taking the use of green belt for development out of the context of the proposed reforms.

There are currently 1.6 million hectares of green belt in the UK.  The figures compiled by the CPRE suggest at least 3,000 hectares will be developed under the plans published so far. In actual fact, this represents less than 0.2% of green belt which expressed as a percentage, is surely less concerning.

According to a report in The Telegraph on 13^th September, the government have taken pains to address criticism by emphasising the importance placed on protecting green belt. Local Government Minister Grant Shapps is quoted:  “We are giving the green belt and open countryside far more protection.  We’re putting future development in the hands of local people to ensure that it’s both proportionate and wanted. We value the green belt and the important role it has in stopping urban sprawl and providing a green lung around our towns and cities.”

The reforms to the NPPF, although proving to be controversial, are necessary to meet the critical housing shortage in the UK.  Under the draft NPPF, the current planning rules will be changed so that applications will be automatically granted if they meet certain criteria. Local authorities with no plans or outdated plans could also be forced to grant permission to applications.

Major house-builders have welcomed the reforms. Bovis, one of the country’s biggest developers, said in its annual report that “as visibility over the effects of the changes to the planning environment improves, the group intends to increase its investment in strategic land”.

The Home Builders Federation have said that “there is now more confidence, both in the economy and in the planning system than there was 18 months ago, and so there will be an increase in the amount of land purchased”.

Greg Clark, the planning minister has defended the proposed reforms to environmentalists on the basis that “we do need to have more housing”.  Clark has also accused the leadership of the National Trust, which is mobilising its 3.6 million members to oppose the NPPF, of “nihilistic selfishness” because if more homes are not built, rents will rise and more people will be pushed into poverty.

Asset Land has several investment opportunities in UK green field land that is strategically placed, close to urban areas and transport links, set within districts experiencing commercial growth which represent solid potential to be ‘re-zoned’ for residential development.

In the draft NPPF, green field land will be considered for development ahead of green belt which is only to be developed in the absence of other land sources.

Asset feel that the government are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea with this issue.  Addressing the housing shortage is of prime concern not only to ease over-crowding in the UK but also to stimulate the economy using the construction sector as a vehicle to create jobs and tax revenues.

Less than 0.2% of the UK’s green belt will be earmarked for development under the NPPF and in fairness to the government, it is not possible to address our housing shortage without sacrificing a small piece of our green and pleasant land.

Asset Land investments are set to benefit from the reforms to the NPPF and we expect our sites to be fast-tracked through the planning processes towards our objective which is to achieve change of use for residential development.