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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the Government intends to monitor and enforce compliance with the golden rules requiring at least 50% affordable housing, infrastructure improvements and accessible green space on major grey belt developments; and what steps are being taken where developers seek to renegotiate these requirements on viability grounds.

The government has not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the NPPF, and we do not propose to alter its general extent.

In its response to the 30 July 2024 to 24 September 2024 consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system consultation, and having considered the feedback received, the government clarified that grey belt land is Green Belt land which does not strongly contribute to Green Belt Purposes (a), (b), and (d).

My Department published updated guidance on Green Belt policy on 27 February 2025 to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, including planning inspectors, in determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here. It is for decision-makers to consider how best to apply the policy to particular local circumstances. As set out in Planning Practice Guidance, where grey belt is identified, it does not automatically follow that it should be allocated for development, or released from the Green Belt, or that development proposals will be approved in all circumstances.

My Department does not hold data on how many sites, including sites that are previously developed land, have been formally identified as grey belt land by local planning authorities since December 2024.

The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 includes ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land that is situated within, or released from, the Green Belt. The NPPF must be taken into account in preparing local development plans and is a material consideration in planning decisions.

The updated planning practice guidance on the Green Belt published on 27 February 2025 sets out how local planning authorities should apply the new ‘Golden Rule’ on green space provision, including how they should consider accessibility, quality, and alignment with Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

The government’s planning practice guidance on viability makes clear that where development is subject to the ‘Golden Rules’, site specific viability assessment should not be used for the purpose of reducing developer contributions. The guidance is available on gov.uk here.

It is for local planning authorities themselves to determine whether exceptional circumstances exist that justify the release of Green Belt. Before concluding that exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries, local planning authorities should be able to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development – including making as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites and underutilised land, optimising the density of development, and working with neighbouring authorities to assess whether identified need might be sensibly accommodated.

Local planning authorities can only adopt a plan that is found sound following examination. For a plan to be considered sound it should be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with national policy – the tests of soundness are set out in the NPPF.

Planning Inspectors are required to determine appeals in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In coming to a decision, the Inspector will give careful consideration to the planning merits of the case, having regard to the local plan and other material considerations. The NPPF must be taken into account in preparing the development plan, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.

The government monitors and publishes data on planning permissions granted, quarterly data on starts and completions, and annual statistics showing the extent of England’s Green Belt, including changes resulting from land being released from, or added to, the Green Belt.