{"id":48843,"date":"2014-10-16T12:36:46","date_gmt":"2014-10-16T12:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=8ab5514b79fea48291a2f1d7ea185527"},"modified":"2014-10-16T12:36:46","modified_gmt":"2014-10-16T12:36:46","slug":"press-release-new-rules-further-strengthen-green-belt-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=48843","title":{"rendered":"Press release: New rules further strengthen green belt protections"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Communities Secretary today (16 October 2014) strengthened the policy on planning for waste facilities such as recycling plants making clear that companies and councils looking to build these should first look for suitable sites and areas on brownfield land.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s new rules<\/a> also changes the previous policy, and means councils can no longer give special consideration to locational needs, or wider economic benefits the site could bring, over other considerations, as justification for building waste facilities on green belt land.<\/p>\n

Mr Pickles said these measures would ensure the green belt could continue to offer a \u201cstrong defence\u201d against urban sprawl in our towns and cities, and brings waste into line with the policies on other development, where approval should only be given in very special circumstances, and brownfield sites should be sought in the first instance.<\/p>\n

Protecting the green belt<\/h2>\n

Today\u2019s new policy follows new guidance<\/a> published earlier this month, which reaffirms how councils should use their local plan, drawing on protections in the National Planning Policy Framework<\/a>, to protect the green lungs around towns and cities.<\/p>\n

Green belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan.<\/p>\n

This is on top of a range of measures the government has already taken to protect the green belt. These include:<\/p>\n