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Green Belt: a growing consideration in landscape, townscape and VIA
The latest in our series celebrating 10 years of the Heritage & Townscape team sees Associate Director, Isabel Jones explore the growing consideration of the Green Belt in the landscape, townscape and visual impact assessment field.
During my five years at Turley, I have worked on a broad range of projects which feels an appropriate reflection of my expansive job title. As a ‘Landscape, Townscape and VIA’ consultant I have worked in an assortment of urban and rural contexts on a variety of projects ranging from a 49 storey octagonal tower in Birmingham City Centre, a sculptural landmark in the Warwickshire Green Belt, a boutique hotel in the South Downs National Park and a 19 storey mixed-use development within a suburban outer London Borough. The variety of landscapes and townscapes we visit and assess is what keeps the role interesting!
Amongst this variety, I have developed a particular interest in the Green Belt (or Metropolitan Open Land in a London context). As a planning designation, the Green Belt is not something that has a bearing on landscape or scenic quality and I wasn’t initially involved in many Green Belt projects. However, over the past few years, the way in which we as a team approach projects in the Green Belt has evolved. This is mainly due to a series of appeal decisions which have introduced an increasing number of “nuances” that can have a bearing when considering impacts on the openness of the Green Belt.
Policy and guidance has experienced limited change since 1955, and the recent Planning for the Future White Paper made no real reference to any meaningful update of Green Belt policy. However, the concept of ‘openness’ has been a constant topic of debate and due to the housing shortage, pressure for development on Green Belt land is ever mounting. In my opinion, a consistent nationwide review of the Green Belt should be undertaken at the same time as planning reform. In order to identify wasted brownfield land with potential for sustainable development, alongside ensuring that land that remains in the Green Belt is multi-functional, assisting with such things as carbon capture, recreational resource and wildlife habitat restoration.
Our work within the Green Belt
We assist with this on a local scale, often looking at potential site allocations to be released from the Green Belt, recommending where, within a site, development could be accommodated without significant harm to landscape character and views of the wider Green Belt, and recommending principles of restoration for landscape features. The remainder of our work focusses on this concept of ‘openness’. We look at brownfield sites where, in accordance with the exceptions set out in NPPF para 145, new development could be considered appropriate provided it would ‘not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development’.
Recent appeal decisions have informed our methodology for Green Belt openness appraisals where we consider the impacts on the spatial and visual openness of the Green Belt. The issues surrounding each project are so different, and understanding the context of a specific site is critical to recognising potential harm or maintenance of openness. As identified in the Euro Garages High Court judgement, it was a misinterpretation of policy to be ‘concerned with the openness of the site and not of the Green Belt ’[1]. A site shouldn’t be looked at in isolation; its surrounding context, including that of the wider Green Belt, should be understood. I particularly like the description of openness from Turner v Secretary of State of Communities and Local Government [2016] EWCA Civ 466.
“The concept of ‘openness’ of the Green Belt is not narrowly limited to the volumetric approach suggested by Mr Rudd. The word ‘openness’ is open textured and a number of factors are capable of being relevant when it comes to applying it to the particular facts of a specific case. Prominent among these will be factors relevant to how built up the Green Belt is now and how built up it would be if redevelopment occurs (in the context of which, volumetric matters may be a material concern, but are by no means the only one) and factors relevant to the visual impact on the aspect of openness which the Green Belt presents.”[2]
I see the consideration of impacts on the Green Belt as a growing area of our work over the next few years. Understanding of context will remain a key theme.
For more information on the work of our Heritage and Townscape service, please contact a member of the team.
8 February 2021
[1] Mrs Justice Jefford DBE, High Court judgement [2018] EWHC 1753 (Admin) Objection by EA dated 21/05/19
[2] Lord Justice Sales, Appeal Court judgement [2016] EWCA Civ 466