Smoke and mirrors: Why building on Green Belt cannot solve the housing crisis
Abstract
There is a prevailing narrative in England that the housing crisis is a result of a failure to build enough homes. The solution, according to this narrative, is to build more homes and remove perceived barriers to building which, it is claimed, include the planning system generally and Green Belt policy in particular. Alternative analysis suggests, however, that there is not a housing shortage, that the planning system and Green Belt policy are not constraining development and, more importantly, that the roots of the housing crisis lie in reforms of the 1980s which meant housing has come to be treated as a financial asset rather than a necessity. The UK Government has adopted the first of these narratives and as a result has implemented planning reforms that undermine Green Belt policy. This paper considers evidence that suggests this narrative does not stand up to scrutiny; thus policies driven by it will not solve the housing crisis but will instead encourage urban sprawl, leading in turn to negative environmental, social and economic impacts, loss of valuable countryside and missed opportunities for urban regeneration and renewal. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Alice Roberts is Head of Campaigns at the London branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). CPRE is a membership-based charity that campaigns to protect the countryside from urban sprawl. It operates across England with a national office and regional branches. The author has worked at the London branch for 10 years. Prior to that she held roles at Campaign for Better Transport, the Local Government Association, Defra and the National Lottery.
