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North Herts Council calls for Government ‘grey belt’ change
We’re very pleased to see that North Hertfordshire District Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to change its damaging definition of ‘grey belt’ and to strengthen protections for the Green Belt, high quality farmland and important wildlife habitats. We now call on all other Councils to follow suit.
At its meeting on 29 January 2026, the full Council passed the motion calling for changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
‘Grey belt’
Most speculative planning applications now focus on sites in the Green Belt, arguing that the land is ‘grey belt’. When the Government introduced its concept of ‘grey belt’, Ministers made it clear this meant previously developed or poor quality land in the Green Belt, such as disused car parks and derelict petrol stations.
Our own research shows that developers are arguing that almost anywhere in the Green Belt is ‘grey belt’, opening up huge swathes of pristine countryside to proposals for mass development.
Since the introduction of ‘grey belt’, we’ve responded to 65 planning applications across Hertfordshire that have argued the site is ‘grey belt’. These applications cover 1,138 hectares – equivalent to about 1,700 football pitches – of greenfield sites in the countryside. These sites are neither poor quality nor previously developed. They are frequently highly valued landscapes, mostly agricultural fields and pastures, usually with Public Rights of Way that provide local residents with their daily dose of nature as well as contributing to climate change mitigation and protecting wildlife habitats.
What do North Herts Councillors say?
Councillor Ruth Brown said the original purpose of Green Belt policy, to keep land permanently open, is being undermined: “We do need more homes but they must be in the right places, at the right price and with the right infrastructure. Many brownfield and already allocated sites remain undeveloped, and these should be prioritised over building on unspoilt countryside.”
Councillor Louise Peace, the sponsor of the motion, said “This motion sends a message to the government that planning policy should allow North Herts Council to build the right homes in the right place.”
We call on ALL Councils to adopt a similar motion
The Government must change its damaging definition of ‘grey belt’ and restore pre-existing protections for the Green Belt. As part of our campaign, we now call on all local authorities in Hertfordshire – and more widely across the country – to adopt a motion like that of North Hertfordshire. The motion is available for download here.
