You may have heard the terms ‘green belt’, ‘greenfield’, and ‘brownfield’. These are used to describe types of land in England.
Green belt covers about 13% of England. It means open land between built-up areas that has been specifically categorised as green belt. This land is protected, meaning it is very hard to get permission to build on it.
Greenfield land hasn’t been developed before, but it isn’t necessarily in a green belt.
Brownfield is land that had buildings on it once, or has been developed before. Think derelict industrial sites, old factories, or empty housing. Building on brownfield land is encouraged.
The government has introduced ‘Grey Belt’
Changes to national planning policies in 2024 introduced a new type of land called ‘grey belt’. This means land that’s in a green belt area, but may be suitable for development because it is:
- Previously developed (e.g. old buildings, car parks, or hardstanding), or
- Poor quality and doesn’t strongly contribute to the main purposes of the Green Belt.
However, just calling land grey belt doesn’t mean it can automatically be built on. Councils must consider several things before allowing development including:
- Does the land still play an important role in the wider green belt?
- Is there a clear need for development?
- Is the site in a good location? (e.g. near services and transport)
- Does the proposal offer extra benefits (e.g. more affordable housing or better green space)
These checks are set out in national policy and councils must follow them carefully.
The government wants to make it easier to build on grey belt land. However, it says brownfield sites should be prioritised for development.
How does this affect Rochford?
Rochford is currently putting together a new Local Plan. This document sets out comprehensive guidelines for development in the district. That means it decides where different things can be built, what infrastructure is needed, where new green spaces will go, and more. It’s an important document that the council and community create together, and it protects our area from inappropriate development.
The national planning policy changes have delayed our Local Plan. They also mean every council in England wants a green belt review right now. Because green belt reviews have to be carried out by specialist private consultants, and there aren’t many of them, there are long waiting times at the moment.
So will the Local Plan be delayed further?
We don’t want that. A Local Plan is really important to protect Rochford against development that isn’t right for the district, and it has already been delayed. The longer this goes on, the more Rochford attracts planning applications that don’t suit our local infrastructure and circumstances.
We are commissioning a green belt review, which will be part of the evidence we show the public alongside the final draft of the Local Plan, called the Reg 19 consultation. This will be published in 2026, and you will be able to comment on it and have your say.
Before that, we need to consult on an early draft. This is called the Reg 18 consultation. So that the wider Local Plan isn’t delayed, we have decided to go ahead with this early draft consultation without a greenbelt review. Many councils do this, because it means the whole Local Plan isn’t delayed due to the national waiting lists for the consultants.
How can I make decisions about the early draft Local Plan without knowing which areas are green belt or grey belt?
The green belt in Rochford is already defined. You can see its boundaries in the adopted Allocations Plan Policies Map. What’s changing is that we’re now carrying out a green belt review, which assesses how well our green belt meets national purposes. It also considers the wider, cumulative impact of any potential changes.
The early draft (Reg 18) consultation won’t include the results of the green belt review, because that work hasn’t finished yet (see above). However, it will still set out the overall direction of the plan, including housing needs, infrastructure priorities, and broad areas for potential growth.
You’ll have another opportunity to comment when the final draft (Reg 19) is published in 2026. That version will include the green belt review findings and more detailed site proposals, including any areas identified as grey belt.
So while the early draft won’t show every detail yet, it’s still a vital opportunity to help shape the future of Rochford.
What about planning applications in the meantime?
Until the Local Plan is ready, we can only make planning decisions on the basis of national planning policies. These are England-wide and don’t take everything that’s unique about Rochford into account, which is why we’re working hard to get our Local Plan in place.
The new national rules include tests for identifying grey belt land. Our planning officers use these tests to assess applications that claim to be on grey belt sites. You can read more about them on the Government’s website. We’ll continue to apply these rules carefully and consistently until our Local Plan is ready.
Can’t you just hold off on all planning applications until the greenbelt review is ready?
Unfortunately, we can’t pause planning applications. Councils are legally required to consider and decide on applications within set timeframes. If we don’t, applicants can appeal, and decisions may be taken out of our hands. That means even more planning applications might get through that aren’t right for Rochford.
That’s why having a Local Plan is so important for our community. It gives us stronger tools to guide development in the right places. In the meantime, we’ll continue to apply national policies and use the national grey belt tests to make fair and informed decisions.
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