§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the advice contained in circulars 42/55, 50/57 and 14/84, and in planning policy guidance note 2, applies equally to green belts across the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. ChopeThe advice in these documents applies equally to all green belts in England. There is no green belt in Wales. Green belt policy in Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the advice contained within planning policy guidance note 2 on the need to maintain the green belt boundaries in the long term overrides the requirement for a five-year housing land supply contained in planning policy guidance note 3.
§ Mr. ChopePPG2 advises that established green belt boundaries should be altered only in exceptional circumstances. PPG3 makes clear that the absence of an indentified five year's supply of land does not in itself create a presumption in favour of development
where there are clear planning objections which in the circumstances of the case outweigh the need to make the land available for housing".The relative weight to be accorded to advice in PPG's will depend on the particular circumstances of each case.