42,142 people agree with CPRE, ‘grey belt’ definition needs to change

Our petition calling on the Government to urgently amend the definition of ‘grey belt’ to uphold vital Green Belt protection has gathered an impressive 42,142 signatures from all across the UK. We are now calling for a Parliamentary Debate.

Parliamentary petitions are allowed to run for only six months so our petition is now closed. But our campaign to save the Green Belt continues and we are now calling for a Parliamentary Debate.

A big thank you to all of our supporters for demonstrating – via your petition signatures – how important it is that the Government’s expansive definition of ‘grey belt’ be changed. We believe that the specific definition of ‘grey belt’ in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) of December 2024 poses an existential threat to the Green Belt.

The Green Belt

The establishment of the Green Belt is widely regarded as the most successful planning policy since the introduction of the present statutory planning system in 1948. It has had the effect of maintaining open countryside with a host of benefits for millions of us who live in towns and cities and depend upon access to the Green Belt for our physical and mental health and well-being.

But there is an inconsistency between the NPPF paragraphs on the Green Belt, and the NPPF glossary definition of ‘grey belt’. This inconsistency could result in the loss of our Green Belt countryside forever. We want the NPPF ‘grey belt’ definition to be amended so this inconsistency is removed, and Green Belt protections remain in place.

A few months ago when our petition reached 10,000 signatures, the Government responded, saying that they would not change the definition of ‘grey belt’. But we are not giving up.

‘Grey Belt’

The Government continues to insist that ‘grey belt’ is poor quality land in the Green Belt, like disused car parks, derelict petrol stations and abandoned garages. But this is not consistent with the NPPF definition and it’s not what’s actually happening on the ground. Instead, developers are submitting speculative planning applications for commercial and residential development on high quality farmland, beautiful landscapes, and all manner of green spaces – and they are arguing that these sites are ‘grey belt’.

Impact of ‘grey belt’ in Hertfordshire

Over the past year, here in Hertfordshire we’ve submitted objections on 48 planning applications for green sites within the Green Belt where the applicant has argued it’s ‘grey belt’. Together these applications cover more than 1,065 hectares of land, or the equivalent of about 1,600 football pitches. These applications are proposing 8,884 dwellings/units, 2 data centres, 8 solar farms, and 1 stand-alone Battery Energy Storage System. None of these sites are disused car parks, derelict petrol stations or abandoned garages. And nearly every week we are seeing more new planning applications, arguing ‘grey belt’.

It is especially galling to see this tsunami of speculative development proposals when there is currently enough identified brownfield land in Hertfordshire for at least 28,030 new homes. And 9,552 of these homes already have planning permission. We want to see these brownfield development permissions enforced and built out.

Our campaign – next steps

Our petition is closed but our campaign continues. We will keep campaigning for the Government to change its definition of ‘grey belt’ and restore the pre-existing protections of the Green Belt in national planning policy. We will be working closely with the London Green Belt Council and National CPRE to ensure our voice gets heard.

Over the past six months we have written to each of our 11 Hertfordshire MPs and met with as many of them as possible, gaining their active support. We have also encouraged our supporters to write to their MP and we know that many have done this.

Our next steps will be to write again to all Hertfordshire MPs. This time we will be asking them to push for a Parliamentary debate on how ‘grey belt’ as currently defined in the NPPF is posing an existential threat to the Green Belt, and the harm this is causing for people and nature.

What can you do?

We hope that all of our members and supporters will keep up the pressure on your MPs and local Councillors as well. Let them know that this is an important issue for you and tell them how highly you value the Green Belt and the wider countryside. Ask them to call for a Parliamentary Debate to expose the damage being caused by the current ‘grey belt’ policy. You can customise and personalise our template letter if you wish.