New homes approved in the Grey Belt

Viable Placemaking are pleased to have gained planning approval for four new dwellings in the Grey Belt.

In December 2024, the Government updated the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (details of which are available here). This included various changes, including the reinstatement of five year housing land supply targets and the introduction of the Grey Belt.

In early 2025, Viable Placemaking submitted on of the country's first 'Grey Belt Statements' to address the changes in policy and how they impacted a planning application for four new homes which were in the Green Belt.

This was submitted alongside our traditional Planning Statement to address the overall benefits of the scheme.

Paragraph 155 of the NPPF states that the development of new homes in the Green Belt is not inappropriate where it meets certain criteria. Combining our Grey Belt Statement and Planning Statement, we were able to overcome each of these in the following ways:

1. The site was located in the Grey Belt and did not undermine the purposes (taken together) of the Green Belt.

2. Viable Placemaking exhibited that the Council did not have an adequate housing land supply and therefore there was an unmet need for the type of development proposed.

3. The site was in a sustainable and accessible location, with good access to public transport and other sustainable modes of transport.

4. The 'Golden Rules' did not apply, since these only apply to major development.

Therefore, the development was not inappropriate development in the Green Belt and was utilising Grey Belt land - which is supported in the NPPF.

One key point was highlighting that the Council were only able to demonstrate a 1.88 years housing supply, which Viable Placemaking did through our economic analysis work. This is significantly below the five year target and, therefore, very substantial weight was given to the provision of housing.

The Council concluded that "in combination the benefits have been identified as attracting very substantial weight, such that any harm by reason of inappropriateness to the openness of the Green Belt, where identified, is

outweighed by the other considerations identified that would amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposal in the Green Belt."

The LPA subsequently approved the application, which will deliver four much needed dwellings in the Borough.

We are absolutely thrilled to have secured this planning application for our client, a developer, and are now looking to 'hand the baton' off to the principal designer to take the scheme forward to delivery.

If you would like to learn more about this project or how we might support your scheme with a Grey Belt Statement, please don't hesitate to get in touch.