There is an increasing trend of individuals purchasing green belt land for sale as a long-term investment in the hope that it will gain planning permission to build homes.

Purchasing green belt land for sale may produce large profits when the land gains planning permission for housing but it also worries the locals and countryside campaigners.

Click here for an example of land for sale

Locals worry that their house values will not rise so fast and countryside campaigners worry that they will lose sites of outstanding natural beauty.

On the other side this new market of land for sale is one of the few bright spots for farmers who have land close to existing housing.

But it is the youth of England who have most at stake. If the housing problem is not addressed they may never know what it is like to own their own home or live in an area of their choice.

In Politics Module No 35 we shall consider:

• Whether the new market of land for sale being offered to the public is a good thing?
• Should the public be allowed to share in the profits of property developers?
• Should land ownership be largely restricted to the Church, Crown, local authorities and Landed Gentry as in the 19th Century?

Click here to see designated greenbelt land in england : source, opdm.gov.uk

England's Housing Crisis

In 1995 the government projected that an additional 4.4 million new dwellings would be needed between 1991 and 2016. This figure has since been revised upwards to over 5 million of which approximately 1 million has already been built.

The government's policy is outlined in the `Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 Housing', published March 1999. It "intends that everyone should have the opportunity of a decent home . . . and that housing should not be used to reinforce social distinctions". "New housing should improve the quality of urban life . . . promoting urban renaissance". The government is committed to "making efficient use of urban land" and "adopting a sequential approach to determine the phased release of land".

However, "The Government accepts that where in the past Green Belt boundaries have been tightly drawn, there may be a case for reviewing the boundaries and planning for development . . ." and "is not against new settlements", though new settlements will "not be acceptable if their principal function is as a dormitory of an existing larger settlement".

What is a green Belt?

A green belt is an area of countryside that has been gives a special status to restrict development.

Green Belts were introduced in the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act.

Currently the UK's 14 green belts total 4.5 million hectares, which represents approximately 35% of the country.

The Purposes of Green Belts.

• To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas.
  
  
• To safe guard the surrounding countryside from further encroachment
  
  
• To prevent neighboring towns from merging into one another.
  
  
• To preserve the special character of historic towns.
  
  
• To assist in urban regeneration
  
  

However it is generally accepted that there are circumstances in which Green Belt policies can be overridden for national needs.


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