Mayor Johnson’s recent admission that London will not be able to meet in housing need over the period of the emerging London Plan should set alarm bells ringing at City Hall that now is the time to assess London’s Green Belt. Unlike Metropolitan Open Land (MOL – a London specific designation used to describe chains of Green spaces thoughout the City), much of London’s Green Belt is inaccessible, of little landscape/ecological value and does not meet the original purposes of Green Belt and/or the tests set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
In an interview on LBC this morning, Mr Johnson started his dialogue by saying that Housing is the single biggest issue for Londoners, and I believe he is spot on. Therefore housing supply should be a priority for the Mayor to ensure the housing needs of London and future generations will be met. However, recent events have seen Mr Johnson ask surrounding boroughs/districts to consider London’s unmet housing needs when setting housing targets for their localities. At a time when these districts/boroughs are failing to meet their own housing needs, this is unlikely to be received favourably.
Having written the 2009 London SHLAA, I know full well that no green belt release is considered as part of the London Plan assessment of housing supply. A top down political direction from the Mayor’s office that Green Belt release is too politically contentious to be considered in London. However, I believe attitudes are changing towards the Green Belt. People are recognising that something needs to be done to unlock more land for housing and supporting infrastructure. What is needed is a hearts and minds exercise from the boroughs and the Mayor to articulate the case for, at a minimum, a review to know what the value of the Green Belt is and to consider any potential land for release.
I was pleasantly surprised to read in planning magazine on the 19th March 2014 , that the Mayor is beginning to ask questions about how and where London should grow, including starting to ask about the Green Belt. I welcome this proactive approach and I believe the Mayor may get a response which shows my belief that attitudes are changing.
I am not an advocate of wholesale Green Belt release. What I am suggesting is that the Green Belt should be reviewed and those sites which add little to the Green Belt and through their release could strengthen the Green Belt for future protection should be considered for their housing potential.
We need to be careful that we do not tarnish all Green Belt development with the label ‘Unsustainable Development’. Sustainable development is a balance of economic, social and environmental considerations but too often, sustainability is used primarily to support environmental protection, which is an incorrect use of the term.
The draft London Plan will be examined over the summer and like other Authorities, the Mayor cannot escape his duty to meeting London’s full range of housing needs and if no other Authority will pick up London’s unmet need, he may have no choice but to look at the Green Belt, politics/no politics.
The Campaign For Town Planning by Neil Goldberg 