More Green Belt designated

The area of English Green Belt increased by 6,800 hectares between 2003 and 2004, according to the latest statistics compiled by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

However, some 85 per cent of the increase from 1,671,400 hectares to 1,678,200 hectares was accounted for by a major designation of nearly 5,700 hectares of Green Belt around the City of Durham.

The only other net increase of over 100 hectares was in the area administered by Dacorum District Council in Hertfordshire where some 940 hectares of land has been designated as Green Belt.

The ODPM has signalled that there is a further 13,000 hectares of proposed changes to the extent of Green Belt contained in provisional, new deposit local development plans.

A recent Parliamentary written answer (Commons Hansard 16 Nov column 1276W) has revealed that in 2003 some 272 hectares of land in designated Green Belt changed to residential use involving the construction of 5,521 new dwellings. 

View the 'Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics: England 2004' here.

View additional tables for the 'Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics: England 2004' here.

Roger Milne

24 November 2005