Chorley Council has written to government to ask that they do more to protect grey belt land while the Central Lancashire Local Plan is being examined.
While the plan is not yet in place, the National Planning Policy Framework allows for developers to submit speculative applications for land in the green belt designated as ‘grey belt’. The council is asking government for an amendment to the policy framework to stop such applications being considered acceptable once a Local Plan is submitted, rather than when it is eventually approved and formally adopted.
Grey belt is defined as land in the green belt comprising previously developed land or land that which does not strongly contribute to the purposes of the green belt.
In June, the draft Central Lancashire Local Plan (CLLP) drawn up between Chorley, South Ribble and Preston was submitted to government for review.
The CLLP is a strategic plan for the areas and sets out the three councils' approach to managing and delivering development (residential, employment and other infrastructure) and protecting the environment for the three districts between 2023 and 2041.
It is an important strategy which supports delivery of corporate ambitions and objectives, such as provision of affordable housing, tackling health and social inequalities and tackling the climate emergency.
Councillor Alex Hilton, Executive Member of Planning and Development at Chorley Council said, “Chorley Council’s Planning Department has received an unprecedented number of applications for speculative development within the designated green belt – in the ‘grey belt’ areas. This has resulted in the granting of several applications in the rural areas of Chorley, which would previously have been refused out of hand.
“We want to protect our beautiful countryside, villages, valuable farmland and the environment of Chorley, which is why we have written to the Minister to consider amending the Framework to allow green belt land to be secured.”