What is it?
In 1954 when the Government preparing its first green belt circular, various organisations realised that the green belt would become a permanent and important feature of planning. They decided to create this voluntary body to keep under review the London green belt as a whole. Members of the LGBC are organisations, both national (CPRE) and local (like us, the North Mymms District Green Belt Society)- it is not open to individuals. The Metropolitan Green Belt circles London, covering an area roughly between Leighton Buzzard, Chelmsford, Tunbridge Wells and Reading. It is purely voluntary employing no staff, and operates by:
- holding quarterly meetings of member organisations in central London,
-advising members on policy developments, planning appeals, etc.
-being consulted by the Department of the Environment, Transport & Regions on new policies affecting the green belt,
- making representations to Ministers when necessary.
The following is an extract from the last meeting on 11 August 1999
Matters arising from previous minutes
Hertfordshire Structure Plan There had been reports in the planning press that Herts CC had withdrawn from the consortium to manage the proposed development at Stevenage. The implication was that they intended to seek a revised Structure Plan without the Stevenage development. The reports had also appeared in the St. Albans press and had been interpreted as a signal that some of the proposed housing would be relocated to Napsbury. Councillors were denying this, saying that they just wanted to look at the issue again. LGBC doubted that this was realistic in view of the time it takes to revise a local plan.
Cane Hill Hospital, Croydon The Chairman said that the Council was seeking to treat the site as a major developed site (MDS) before it was designated as such in a local plan. There were two applications, one for the science park and the other for the secure unit, the latter incorporating the site of an existing house (though extending beyond it). The Chairman observed that if the site were designated a MDS, redevelopment need not be on the same footprint - just not bigger than the previous development.
Regional Development Agencies RDAs do not have plannin g powers; they are more economics and trade oriented. LGBC had received the Draft Economic Development Strategy for the East of England, issued by the East of England Development Agency, covering Norfolk Suffolk Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. It is generalised and provides nothing to comment on. The equivalent document had been received from the South East England Development Agency (which does not cover London itself.) It was in greater detail and contained several references to t he Green Belt. These were mainly factual such as the observation that there is a good deal of Green Belt so housing and other development is difficult. The implication was that the limitations on development arising from the Green Belt were accepted and LG BC would write welcoming and reinforcing this.
Copthall Sports Stadium Mill Hill The Secretary of State had rejected the application for a new stadium. It appeared that the existing stadium may now be refurbished instead.
Local Government reform in London. Public consultation is under way on a move to a more 'cabinet' style of government. Except for development control and licensing, which would be dealt with by executive committees of councillors. The council committees would become supervisory and adviso ry, roughly mirroring the functions of Parliamentary select committees. It remained to be seen whether the proposed arrangements would be more efficient than the current system but doubt was expressed that that they would be as democratic. It was though t that there would probably not be the same openness of access to council papers. Similar moves were afoot in Bromley.
Round Table on Sustainable Development This is not the same as the British Government Panel on Sustainable Development but both are due to be subsumed in a new Sustainable Development Commission next year. Various national and international bodies are concerned with sustainable development and they had recently produced papers. Barnet Council had published a paper which sought to define i t. The proposed Stevenage development was a test case; unless it precluded further development, it would not be sustainable. "Sustainable development" did not just refer to development in the land use sense; it applies primarily to economic growth and dev elopment. These were likely to be influential bodies and LGBC needed to keep the issue of Green Belt and the meaning of Sustainable Development before them.
SERPLAN: Regional Planning Guidance for the South East The Public Examination of the draft Regional Planning Guidance had ended and the Panel' s report was due to be published by the end of September. The Government Office for the South East aims to release a revised Draft PPG9 for the South East by mid-December. This will be followed by an eight week consultation period and the final version of PPG9 is expected to be issued in spring 2000.
Central Railways Central Railways had written to Malcolm Wicks MP to say that they have appointed consultants to look into the feasibility of a route round London f urther to the west. It was thought that people on the outer route would not be happy. A member was doubtful about the proposal as the route under consideration had not been made clear.
Countryside Agency's Attitude to the Green Belt The Chairman and Secretary had met the Agency's Head of Planning. It was clear that the Agency's attitude would be similar to the old Countryside Commission. The Agency was advisory rather than executive, but that the Agency should cover the broad quest ion of where housing s hould be. The Agency's second objective (to promote social equity and economic opportunity) was likely to be at odds with its objective of protecting the countryside and this could be against LGBC's interests. A member said the Agency should promote the i nterests of the countryside, not urban interests in the countryside. It was agreed that the Agency's approach to the Green Belt should be taken up again with the Chairman of the Board.
Urban Task Force The Urban Task Force's report did not seem to contain anything for LGBC to worry about. The report was concerned with smaller towns, not just big conurbations. The report did not mention that Green Belt is most at risk where it adjoins existing development.
Sale of 1938 land at Huntsmoor Park Farm, Iver The Secretary of State had ordered a inquiry. It was thought that there must have been considerable local opposition to overriding the inalienability of the land.
DETR Consultation Papers
Streamlining the Processing of Major Projects through the Planning System This was a new paper, not to be confused with the earlier paper on 'Operation and Effectiveness of Structure Plans'. The new paper concerned only projects of more than of more than regional significance. LGBC had replied that:
(a) Green Belt is not to be treated as a local matter since a major project may well affect several regions with Green Belt in one or more.
(b) Metropolitan Green Belt itself covers four regions
(c) London Green Belt Council should be able to take part in appropriate cases.
Outdoor Advertising Control Earlier ideas which contained undesirable features had been withdrawn. The latest paper was largely technical and it was agreed that there was no need for LGBC to comment.
Draft Strategy for Waste This was also largely technical in content though well written in simple language. It contains no direct reference to the Green Belt. No comment by LGBC was needed at this stage, but should be reconsidered at the next stage when revised guidance on waste appears as a draft PPG 1 0.
Improving Rights of Way The paper provided for the rights of way definitive maps to be frozen at a certain date, after which no further applications to add old paths would be entertained This was exercising both the Open Spaces Society and the Ramblers Association. It was agreed that no comment on Green Belt matters was needed.
Officers' reports on new business since the last meeting.
Building Research Station at Garston, Herts There was a similar situation to Cane Hill Hospita l in that the Planning Authority was proposing to treat the Building Research Station Site as an MDS before designation as such in a local plan. A member said the Planning Authority had been under the impression that once they had been through the necessary consultations, they could treat the current plan as amended. However, following objections, they accepted that this was not so and had notified the SoS of a proposed departure from the plan.
Slough Local Plan The provision of Park and Ride in the Green Belt, which had featured in earlier drafts, was not in the Deposit Draft of the Plan.
Nursing Home, Canvey Island Councillors rejected officers' advice to allow a Nursing Home which was not in Green Belt and refused permission on the grounds that it would damage the view front the Green Belt. Their decision was upheld on appeal.
LGBC had:
(a) objected to the expansion of a gypsy caravan site at Westmoreland Farm Lower Road, Swanley.
(b)objected to business, including retail, development at Elses Farm, Morleys Road, Weald.
(c) commented on a proposal to renew a Park and Ride site at the former Council Depot, Otford Road, Sevenoaks.
(d) objected to Aviary buildings at Woodside, Uckfield Lane, Hever.
(e) corresponded with Redbridge Council on the criteria governing their proposals for Major Developed Sites.
There has been an application for a cemetery, chapel and parking on a Green Belt site at Edgwarebury across the A41 from a place where an application for a golf course had recently been lodged. LGBC had written arguing that while cemeteries were permissible in the Green Belt, there was no justification for putting one on this site.
A copy of the Enfield Conservation Management Plan had been received.
LGBC has been advising the local council on its opposition to Essex County Council's proposed construction of a waste incinerator in the Green Belt at Rawreth.
Other matters raised by members
A joint advisory committee of local authority councillors and offic ers together with other organisations had been set up to prepare a management plan for the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty. The committee hoped to publish a consultation draft towards the end of this year. As the area is Green Belt, LGBC will need to keep an eye on this.
There was reference to the case of a house built in the 1970's on the site of a Gardener's Cottage and associated outbuildings. Relying on the fact that houses in the Green Belt may be enlarged by up to 50%, the new owner had rece ntly obtained permission to enlarge the house subject to the removal of General Development Order rights. As soon as permission had been granted, the owner sought to build a triple garage and swimming pool as a permitted development based on the present house and the Planning Authority had no alternative but to certify that this was a lawful development. The PIaning Authority had written to DETR recommending that this loophole through which the owner had been able to extend the buildings twice over should be plugged. This could be done if it were lawful as a condition of the grant of permission for an extension, to remove the General Development Rights from the existing building.
In the current Sutton UDP the outer two of three adjacent sites had been designated as MDSs and redeveloped accordingly. In the new draft plan, the middle site was also designated a MDS. At the same time a girls school which was a MDS is not designated as such in the new draft. The Chairman considered that there was nothing inherently wrong in making changes of this kind. The suitability of each site as a MDS had to be argued on its merits.
A member had written to the DETR about a proposal for a school on a 20 acre Green Belt site, asking them to treat it as a departure from the plan and received a reply that they only did so where there was an issue of regional significance.