Building on the grey belt

Where is the grey belt on Tyneside and is it the solution for future development needs?

The grey belt refers to areas of lower quality land lying within the protected green belt. The concept of the green belt goes back to the late 19th century, first coined apparently by the social reformer and founder of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, to describe a ring of protected countryside around a town or city. The idea behind the idea was to limit the growth of conurbations and prevent what we would now describe as urban sprawl.

With the passing of the Town and Country Planning Act in 1947, green belts became national planning policy, with local authorities empowered to formally designate areas of green belt, which they did up and down the country, including on Tyneside.

Today, while successful in curtailing urban growth, green belts are seen by some as artificially limiting the amount of land available for development and in turn driving up house prices. Moreover, while areas of green belt are renowned for their natural beauty, the blanket designation also includes areas of poor quality land – described by the government as grey belt – which could, it is argued, be developed without damage to the countryside, increasing housing supply and driving economic growth.

In this event, we consider the implications of this policy for Newcastle and Tyneside. Where is the grey belt on Tyneside? Is the grey belt/green belt distinction as clearcut here as it may be elsewhere in the country? What might be lost and what could be gained by building on the grey belt? And is it really the solution for the city’s future development needs?

Speakers

Julia Heslop – An artist and research fellow in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. She works on issues of land and housing.

David Webb – Chartered town planner and Senior Lecturer in Town Planning at Newcastle University. He has a longstanding interest in the formation and contestation of urban policy and its often unpredictable consequences for different places.

Jo Rogers – Senior Chartered Planner at Ethical Planning. She works across equestrian and forestry development in the Green Belt, early stage masterplanning and feasibility studies for a new settlement, heritage and providing planning support to faith and community groups, charities and minority groups.

About the City Forum

A monthly space to explore a range of issues that shape our experience of the city today. This season we explore what the government’s planning reforms mean for Tyneside.