Almost two-thirds of people believe green belt land should not be built on, according to a poll marking 60 years of the policy.
The survey of 845 adults by Ipsos Mori for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) found 64% thought agricultural and open land between urban areas should be protected from development, almost one in five disagreeing.
Campaigners today called for councils to be forced to refuse developments in the Green Belt that are not included in existing local plans, with greater support from central government on where boundaries can be altered.
Despite renewed commitments from government ministers over the protection of open spaces, it is thought 226,000 houses are currently planned for Green Belt land.
Prime minister David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne last month wrote they would ‘always protect’ such spaces, while business secretary Sajid Javid said ‘there is plenty of land which is not Green Belt that we can build on and which is suitable for housing and we need to get on with it’.
CPRE’s survey found almost three quarters of respondents living in urban areas in the south of England want to see green belt land protected, alongside 66% of those in the North East, North West and Yorkshire.
Shaun Spiers, chief executive of CPRE, said: ‘The Green Belt is a fantastic British success story of which we should all be proud. It has both protected countryside and aided the regeneration of towns and cities across England.
‘It is good for people’s well-being and quality of life; good for nature and wildlife; and it provides us with much of the food that we eat. Of course the country needs more homes, but we can get them without trashing the Green Belt.
‘CPRE’s anniversary campaign is intended to rally all who care about our Green Belt. We want both national and local politicians to make clear that they recognise the importance of the Green Belt, and to commit to ensuring that planning authorities secure its protection.’
