Viability Assessment for Grey Belt Housing

Aug 27

2 min read

Viable Placemaking has provided a Viability Assessment for a housing development in the Grey Belt.

The August 2026 update to the National Planning Policy Framework brought several changes for development in England, particularly those where viability can be assessed.

Policy GB8 sets out the introduced three circumstances in which a viability assessment demonstrating that it would not be possible for the development to comply with the Golden Rules, these circumstances are when a development is:

On previously developed land and demonstrably burdened by costs associated with that previous development which were not taken into account in the viability assessment that informed the development plan;
For a strategic site; or
For a development which is of a wholly different type to that considered in the viability assessment that informed the development plan.

Grey Belt land itself is fined as land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes (a), (b), or (d). Consequently, much Grey Belt land is previously developed land in the Green Belt.

Of course, there are exceptions, including where a development is coming forward as a rural exception site. Each site will be considered on its own merits, and the viability circumstances of the local plan and development should be reviewed to ensure development is viable and deliverable.

Viable Placemaking are a town planning consultancy with a specialism in development economics and viability. We frequently work alongside our fellow planners as well as architects, developers, and local authorities to provide advice on the viability of development proposals.

The new NPPF provides many new routes into considering viability and there is always much to consider with changing market conditions. For more information on how Viable Placemaking can help, please feel free to get in touch.