§ 36. Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total area of land which has been removed from the green belt during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. ChopeThe precise information requested is not available, but the extent of approved green belt in England has more than doubled from 1.8 million acres to 4.5 million acres since 1979.
§ 77. Mr. LofthouseTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what instructions he has given to planning authorities to prevent erosion into the green belt; whether the importance of presumption against development in the green belt still applies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeLocal planning authorities are expected to have regard to the very restrictive planning policies that continue to apply in the green belt, as set out in the Department's planning policy guidance note 2, published in January 1988: a copy is in the Library. As the guidance makes plain, there is a general assumption against inappropriate development in the green belt.
§ 93. Mr. WolfsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the need for local housing authorities situated within the green belt to make provisions, on an exceptional basis, for low-cost housing in their rural area; and what advice he has offered.
§ Mr. TrippierIn the first instance it is for local authorities to decide where new housing can be accommodated, taking account of existing planning policies and, where applicable, the relaxation I announced on 3 February for small developments to meet local needs in rural areas. The Government have made provision for a substantial increase in the total resources available to housing associations for subsidised rented housing and for low-cost home ownership, and an increased share of that total will be allocated to smaller rural communities and to those areas where high house prices make access to owner-occupation more difficult.