Fear green spaces could go in planning changes

SOME of a borough's green spaces could be lost because of government changes to planning, the council’s deputy leader has warned.

- DECLAN CAREY

Lib Dem Coun Mark Roberts said changes to national planning policy could see spaces between Stockport's towns and communities, called the green belt, used for building projects such as creating new homes.

Land designated as green belt is intended to limit new development to stop neighbouring areas from merging together in ‘unrestricted’ expansion.

But planning changes by the Labour government to boost housebuilding could see some green belt land built on as part of the ‘grey belt’.

This was defined by the government in December as areas which fall into the green belt but have already been developed, such as disused car parks, or land which does not ‘strongly contribute’ to the purpose of the green belt.

But Coun Roberts raised concerns about new guidance shared with councils over the changes. He said: "With this developers’ charter to concrete over the green belt, Labour have decided to simply rename much-valued green belt as the ‘grey belt’ and hope that residents will shrug their shoulders.