Only one in ten homes built on land released from the Green Belt over the past decade are considered ‘affordable’, a new report has found.
The report, published by CPRE, also found that local plans propose 266,000 new homes on undeveloped Green Belt land but only a third of these will be considered ‘affordable’ according to local policies.
The countryside charity said the report – entitled Space to Breathe, A State of the Green Belt - shows development on the Green Belt is ‘inefficient and land hungry’ and unlikely to solve the affordable housing crisis.
Tom Fyans, deputy chief executive of CPRE, said: ‘Building homes on the Green Belt is not the answer to the housing crisis. Indeed, in terms of the Green Belt, it’s clear that we are reaching a tipping point.
‘The increasing number of new homes proposed on the Green Belt has continued to rise since the report was first undertaken in 2012, despite the fact that these homes are not delivering promised affordable housing. We must not allow our Green Belt to be gobbled up, but instead focus on building affordable homes in which young struggling families can actually live.’
The CPRE is calling for more building on brownfield sites, enhancement of the Green Belt so it is more valued by local authorities, and stronger evidence-based tests for planning proposals.
