THE “sTRONGEST PROTECTION”? Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London: the real story March 2016 cprelondon.org.uk SUMMARY CONTENTS Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London enjoy the highest level of protection from development. These protections, put in place many 1 Introduction to protected green space in London 4 years ago, have ensured that London has not sprawled into the countryside, that derelict areas have been used for development instead of green field sites, 2 The purposes of Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land 6 and that Londoners have access to green spaces within and close to London. 3 London Boroughs, the London Mayor and National and London planning documents national government: their role in protecting land 8 state that ‘the strongest protection’ should CPRE London believes urgent action be given to Green Belt and Metropolitan Open is now needed to halt the loss of 4 The benefits of Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land 10 Land and that ‘great importance’ is attached London’s protected green spaces to land protections. Politicians of all parties pledge continued support for land protections. » Politicians should halt the loss of London’s 5 Conflicting interests and the future of land protection 11 precious Green Belt and Metropolitan Open But CPRE London is currently aware of 51 Land, calling an immediate stop to the 6 Recent increase in threats to Green Belt and protected sites across London under threat from current sacrifice of parks, playing fields Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London 12 development. These include parks, recreation and recreation grounds for development grounds and sports fields. And recently there has been a sharp increase in planning permissions » Clear signals are needed from the Mayor and 7 Parks, recreation grounds, sports grounds: on Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land. the Government to halt speculative planning an analysis of what is under threat 14 applications on, and sales of, protected land There are four main reasons for this. » The government’s Education Funding Agency 8 Sites currently under threat in Greater London 15 » The 2012 reform of the planning system must cease seeking out and acquiring introduced conflicting objectives such protected sites in London for free schools 9 Reasons why threats to protected land are on the increase 21 that protections are weakened in the face of apparently more pressing concerns. » There is no need to build on London’s Related to this, local constraints are not precious Green Belt and Metropolitan Open 10 Halting threats to London’s protected green spaces 24 recognised when housing targets are set. Land. Alternatives exist. Use these instead. Afterword: London, its Green Belt, and beyond 25 » The Government’s Education Funding Agency » Local constraints should be recognised is involved with seeking out and acquiring when housing targets are set protected sites to locate new schools. » We want to see provisions requiring councils » These two combine to send the wrong to plan to enhance protected green spaces messages to landowners and developers given more weighting by councils and more leading to speculative planning support from the Mayor, to ensure sites applications and land sales. are well used and do not become derelict » Land is left to become derelict and this often leads to its being regarded as having little value. Cover photo: SOS! Save Oakfields Site campaigners protest against proposals to build 1,000 homes on some of the best quality 2 THefootball “STRONGES and cricketT PROTEC pitches,TION”? G reenand Belta strategically and Metropolitan important Open Land site in forGreater sports, London: in East the realLondon story cprelondon.org.uk cprelondon.org.uk THe “STRONGEST PROTECTION”? Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London: the real story 3 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTED MAP 2 This map shows some of the GREEN SPACE IN LONDON larger Metropolitan Open Land sites within Greater London, also identifying the many parks and commons Protected green space and what it means open land that surrounds the city. Most of it is outside which are part of it There are many green spaces in Greater London Greater London, falling in the surrounding counties, which are protected from development, meaning but much falls within Greater London. The whole of they are protected from being built on. It can also London’s Green Belt measures 514,060 hectares of mean that any development next to the land is which 35,190 hectares2, or around 7%, is in Greater constrained to ensure the land still feels open. London. It is this 7% which is the subject of this report. These green spaces are protected by legal designations which have different names: in Greater London the majority are designated as Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land. These are both afforded the highest level of protection from development – meaning that they should never be built on except in exceptional circumstances. Other designations with a lower level of protection also exist, for example Urban Open Space. ©Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Greater London Authority 100032379 (2008) www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan This focus of this report is Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land. The extent of Metropolitan Open Land total amount of Metropolitan Open Land but the The extent of Green Belt within within the Greater London area Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL) the Greater London area MAP 1 Metropolitan Open Land is afforded the same level of hopes to be able to create such a dataset over the London’s Green Belt is one of 14 Green Belts in This map shows London’s Green Belt most of protection as Green Belt. It differs from Green Belt in coming year. Many of London’s parks, playing fields, England1 covering a total of 1,638,610 hectares or which is outside of Greater London. Only 7% that all of it is within Greater London. There is a wide recreation grounds and open fields are Metropolitan 13% of England’s land area. It is also known as the falls within the Greater London boundary range of sites within London’s boroughs designated Open Land but there are also many small pieces of Metropolitan Green Belt and is a permanent area of as Metropolitan Open Land. No data exists for the Metropolitan Open Land all over Greater London. LONDON’S GREEN Belt TImelINE 1890 1919 1926 1929 1935 1938 1943 1947 1955 1962 1988&1998 2009 2011 2012 2014 CPRE and additional (2010) information from GLA (2015) Adapted from: LB Redbridge Natural England (2010), and Ebenezer Town and Formation of Raymond Unwin, London County The Green Belt Patrick The Town Duncan Sandys, ‘The Green Belts’ Policy Planning The Town and The National The London Plan Planning Policy Howard’s vision Country Planning CPRE, one of chief planner Council (London & home Abercrombie’s and Country Housing minister, government Guidance (PPG) 2 Country Planning Planning Policy establishes Policy Advice released in of Garden Association calls whose earliest for Greater announces counties) Act County of Planning Act encourages local publication gives Green Belts states; (Consultation) Framework (NPPF) 7.16 on Green October: “Unmet Cities outlines for towns to be campaigns London Regional a ‘Green Belt gives permanent London Plan enables local authorities to a presumption ‘the fundamental Direction retains the five Belt. Policy 7.17 housing need a principle surrounded by was against Planning loans scheme’ protection to defines the authorities define Green against Green Belt aim of Green requires planning functions of the on Metropolitan (including for of “always a rural belt urban sprawl Committee, allowing local London’s Green Green Belt to designate Belt. Circular development, Belt policy is applications to be Green Belt from Open Land traveller sites) preserving proposes a authorities to Belt land around London and protect 42/55 outlines although to prevent urban referred to the Circular 43/55 assigns the is unlikely to a belt of ‘green girdle’ locally define areas such three functions: development that sprawl by keeping Secretary of same degree outweigh the country around around London the function of as the Green Belt to check urban doesn’t interfere land permanently State where a of protection harm to the Green our cities” to compensate the land. 11,400 through local growth; prevent with the ‘open open; the most local authority as Green Belt Belt and other for a deficiency ha of land was development neighbouring character’ of the important proposes harm to constitute of green spaces purchased by plans, without settlements from land may be attribute of inappropriate the ‘very special in the capital local authorities needing to merging; to permissible. Green Belts is development on circumstances’ purchase preserve the Circular 14/84 their openness’. Green Belt, if the justifying the land special character gives advice Circular 43/55 development inappropriate of a town for detailing defines five green consists of development boundaries in belt functions buildings 1000 m2 on a site within local plans or more or would the Green Belt” significantly impact openness 4 THe “STRONGEST PROTECTION”? Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London: the real story cprelondon.org.uk cprelondon.org.uk THe “STRONGEST PROTECTION”? Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land in Greater London: the real story 5 2. THE PURPOSES OF GREEN It also states that the open spaces and links within » Country Parks are areas which were designated a Green Chain should be designated as Metropolitan mainly in the 1970s for people to visit and enjoy BEltS AND METROPOLItaN Open Land due to their London-wide importance. recreation in a countryside environment e.g. Hainault Forest Country Park in Redbridge or OPEN LAND Protected land often has an additional purpose as Bedfont Lakes Country Park in Middlesex.