Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has recently assessed the impact of Grey Belt policy criteria that focus on towns and large built-up areas on village-edge Green Belt land, and his Department's assessment of the potential impact of this policy on rural settlements in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, such as Redbourn.

In assessing whether Green Belt land is grey belt, local planning authorities should consider the contribution the land in question makes to the Green Belt purposes of restricting the sprawl of large built up areas, preventing the merging of neighbouring towns, and safeguarding the setting and special character of historic towns.

Relevant Green Belt guidance makes clear that when assessing contribution to these purposes, “large built-up areas” and “towns” do not include villages.

Considering whether any particular settlement constitutes a village is a matter for the given local planning authority to judge, which may be informed by the adopted local settlement hierarchy.