§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the research report on The Effectiveness of Green Belt Policy, commissioned by the Department of the Environment and published by HMSO in July 1993.
§ The Earl of ArranThe aim of the research was to assess the effectiveness of green belt policy, and investigate how it might be improved. The report concluded that the policy was working well, and achieving its main purposes of preventing urban sprawl and the merging of towns. Alterations to boundaries in development plans had affected less than 0.3 per cent of green belts in the last eight years. Most planning approvals had been for small-scale changes which did not significantly affect the rural appearance of green belts. Planning appeal decisions strongly upheld green belt policy. This illustrates the strength of the Government's continuing commitment to green belts.
The Government have considered the report's recommendations for increasing still further the effectiveness of green belt policy. We have today published for public consultation a draft revision of Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, Green Belts. This includes limited amendments designed to reinforce policy by making greater allowances for environmental 45WA and economic factors and addressing some practical difficulties in operating it. We hope these will make our green belts even more highly valued in the future.
My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is considering the research report's recommendations for Scotland's green belts separately. The draft planning policy guidance note is for England only.
Revision of PPG2 will complete the comprehensive review of planning, guidance which we have carried out since publication of the Environmental White Paper This Common Inheritance in 1990.