Councils throughout England are utilizing settlement reclassification as a instrument to defend inexperienced belt land from nationwide housing pressures.
Solihull Council has proposed reclassifying 4 villages – Knowle, Dorridge, Bentley Heath and Balsall Frequent – as cities to restrict the impression of gray belt planning reforms.
By altering how these settlements are formally outlined, councils purpose to affect the place growth can happen and shield the character of rural areas.
How reclassification protects inexperienced belt land
Solihull’s Draft Settlement Hierarchy session proposes that sure rural settlements be thought-about cities relatively than villages.
Solihull Councillor Andy Mackiewicz mentioned: “There are clearly now particular penalties as to if a settlement is taken into account a village or a city, which can affect the interpretation of inexperienced belt coverage and have implications for the placement of recent growth.”
Nationwide Planning Coverage Framework guidelines present stronger protections for cities in comparison with villages. Villages in gray belt areas may be extra simply merged or focused for housing, whereas cities are thought-about extra established settlements and are much less prone to be included in large-scale rural growth plans.
By reclassifying these villages, Solihull hopes to create a authorized and policy-based barrier to undesirable growth, maintaining inexperienced belt land intact whereas nonetheless permitting residents to determine domestically as a village.
Different councils difficult gray belt guidelines
Solihull just isn’t alone in exploring inventive methods to restrict growth on delicate land:
- Oxford Metropolis Council (2024): Proposed merging surrounding villages into a bigger “Higher Oxford” unit to centralise planning choices and shield inexperienced belt land.
- Fortress Level Borough Council: Just lately challenged a planning inspector’s approval for properties on gray belt land, demonstrating how councils can legally contest nationwide housing insurance policies.
These examples illustrate a rising development of native authorities navigating inexperienced belt loopholes or utilizing planning designations to affect the place growth can occur.
Might council rebel unfold?
Specialists are intently watching Solihull and different councils’ strategy.
James Clark, Companion at Foot Anstey, warned: “The Authorities is unlikely to tolerate councils trying to sidestep nationwide coverage on this method.”
Myles Wild-Smith, Planning Director at Lichfields UK, described the strategy as a “daring technique” that enables the council to proceed advancing draft allocations whereas technically complying with steering.
The technique exploits a spot in coverage: there is no such thing as a authorized definition of a village versus a city, giving cities stronger safety beneath present planning guidelines. Bigger villages with populations above 5,000 and vital facilities could make a compelling case for reclassification.
Nevertheless, James Clark cautions that the strategy carries dangers, together with authorized challenges from builders, extended planning uncertainty and potential authorities intervention to shut the loophole.
Whereas it might supply short-term safety, councils contemplating this strategy should weigh the trade-offs rigorously.
