Greybelt land Source:&nbsp ShutterstockA Lords inquiry into the governments grey belt plans has described the proposals as incoherent, saying they will make almost no difference to the 1.5 million new homes target Under amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) made in December, councils will be asked to prioritise house building on previously developed plots otherwise known as grey-belt land.However, the policy will have a marginal, at best impact on the governments target of 1.5 million homes by 2030, House of Lords Built Environment Committee chair Daniel Moylan said in a 36-page letter sent to housing secretary Angela Rayner yesterday (4 February).Moylan argued that the NPPF revisions made in December were rushed and incoherent and that the grey belt policy would be largely redundantbecause of other proposed planning reforms.AdvertisementThe committee said it expected councils and developers to instead use existing mechanisms to build more homes on the green belt, which was likely to be redrawn to meet housing targets.Moylan said: The governments policy has been implemented in a somewhat rushed and incoherent manner. The committee does not believe that it is likely to have any significant or lasting impact on planning decision-making or helping the government achieve its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament.In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said that the grey belt policy was just one of the ambitious housing reforms set out by the government, which had inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory.They continued: [We] are taking decisive action to deliver 1.5 million homes as part of our Plan for Change, including overhauling the broken planning system Our green belt reforms are informed through widespread consultation and will unlock more land for the homes and infrastructure communities desperately need, delivering sustainable, affordable and well-designed developments on low-quality grey belt.And Fergus Charlton, planning partner at national law firm Michelmores LLP, said the grey belt policy was already playing a key role in planning.AdvertisementHe argued: Whether or not the grey belt policies will play an effective role in achieving the governments difficult-to-reach 1.5 million new homes target will become clearer as the policies begin to play a defining role in plan making.In the realm of decision taking, they are already playing a key role in the outcome of appeals where green-belt land is considered by inspectors to be grey belt. We have seen more than a handful of successful appeals in the eight weeks since the grey belt concept was confirmed in the NPPF.Architects have so far welcomed the governments planning and house-building reforms. Speaking to the AJ, RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said the planning reforms announced in December were a promising path forward.He added: Significant moves to review the use of the green belt and define the meaning of grey-belt land, while prioritising brownfield development, also signal a willingness to tackle some of the most pressing barriers to large-scale development.The governments Planning and Infrastructure bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in March when further plans to fast-track major housebuilding and infrastructure projects will be set out.However, doubts have been raised over the 1.5 million homes target, with Rayner telling a select committee last month that house-building targets would have to be ramped up towards the end of Labours five-year term in order to reach that goal, as AJ sister title Local Government Chronicle reported.Estimates on how many homes could be unlocked by grey-belt development range between 50,000 and 4 million.At a glance: National Planning Policy Framework changesCouncils have been given immediate mandatory housing targets, adding up to 370,000 units per yearAreas with the lowest levels of affordability and greatest potential for growth will see house-building targets increase the mostCouncils must review their green belt boundaries and identify lower-quality grey-belt land for developmentAny development on the green belt must meet strict requirements, with rules requiring developers to provide infrastructure for local communitiesCouncils and developers will need to give greater consideration to social rent when building new homesThe government said it supported builders, not blockers and would deliver for working people2025-02-05Gino Spocchiacomment and share