HC Deb 07 November 1995 vol 265 cc744-6W
Mrs. Helen Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what size land area constitutes a major development site in a green belt area; and what is his definition of a major development site. [41694]

Sir Paul Beresford

PPG2 gives guidance on major existing developed sites in green belts. If such a site is specifically identified in an adopted local plan or unitary development plan, construction of new buildings for the purpose of limited infilling or redevelopment is not inappropriate, providing it meets criteria stated in the PPG. The guidance applies only to sites which are substantial. Its proposed application to any particular site is tested through the planning process.

Mrs. Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to advise or instruct local planning authorities to publish lists of sites for major development in green belt areas as part of his revised PPG2. [41688]

Sir Paul Beresford

PPG2 stipulates that, if limited infilling or redevelopment of a major existing developed site in the green belt is not to require justification by very special circumstances, the site must be specifically identified for this purpose in an adopted local plan or unitary development plan.

Mrs. Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have put forward revised guidelines to their urban development plan submissions following the revision to PPG2 for green belt sites. [41689]

Sir Paul Beresford

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs. Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many extra dwellings he estimates being approved for planning permission in the current year in green belt areas following his revision to PPG2. [41690]

Sir Paul Beresford

I have made no such estimate. The revised PPG2 enables local plans and unitary development plans to provide greater certainty about the future of major existing developed sites and speedier development control decisions. The previous guidance permitted the redevelopment of redundant hospitals and, in very special circumstances, of other sites. The revised guidance stipulates that redevelopment must have no greater impact on the green belt than the existing development, and where possible less; must contribute to green belt land use objectives, such as countryside access and outdoor recreation; and must not occupy a larger area of the site than the existing buildings.

Mrs. Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning applications for major development sites in green belt areas he has called in since he published the revised guidance note on PPG2. [41692]

Sir Paul Beresford

I have called in 18 applications for development in the green belt since January 1995. This figure includes various types and sizes of development on different sorts of site.

Mrs. Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what notice he has had of planning applications for the development of major development sites of green belt areas, which include applications to build more than (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 50 and (d) 100 houses, since his revised guidance note on PPG2. [41693]

Sir Paul Beresford

Planning applications for development in the green belt are formally notified to me only if they are departures from the development plan. Information on the scale of individual proposals is not collected centrally. Applications for the limited infilling or redevelopment of major existing developed sites specifically identified for this purpose in adopted local plans or unitary development plans would not be departures.