Chorley requests special Green Belt protections from govt
An “unprecedented” number of applications for development on protected land has prompted the council to ask the government to help it stem the flow.
Chorley Council has written to government to ask it to do more to protect the borough’s Green Belt land while the Central Lancashire Local Plan – a joint plan between Chorley, South Ribble, and Preston councils – goes through the process of being updated.
In recent months, Chorley has experienced a high number of applications for development on Green Belt land that developers believe should be classed as Grey Belt – land designated as Green Belt that does not contribute to its purposes.
Developers have sensed an opportunity to get their applications approved given the council’s lack of a five-year housing land supply.
This leaves Chorley in a vulnerable position and has resulted in the approval of several applications that might have otherwise been rejected, according to Cllr Alex Hilton, executive member for planning and development at Chorley Council.
“Chorley Council’s planning department has received an unprecedented number of applications for speculative development within the designated Green Belt – in the ‘Grey Belt’ areas,” he said.
“This has resulted in the granting of several applications in the rural areas of Chorley, which would previously have been refused out of hand.”
He added: “We want to protect our beautiful countryside, villages, valuable farmland and the environment of Chorley, which is why we have written to the minister to consider amending the [National Planning Policy] Framework to allow green belt land to be secured.”
Chorley is asking for the policies set out in the emerging Central Lancashire Local Plan – which proposes no Green Belt release at all – to come into effect during the examination period.
Normally, policies would only become material considerations in determining planning applications once a plan has been adopted.
The request comes mere months after Chorley Council had its full suite of planning powers reinstated, following a stint on the government’s naughty step.
The council was admonished in 2023 for its record on determining planning applications but has since made sufficient improvement to warrant having its powers reinstated.
Then-secretary of state Michael Gove designated Chorley Council in December 2023 for “persistent under-performance” in relation to its planning department.
At the time, Chorley had seen more than 15% of its refusals overturned at appeal between October 2020 and September 2022.
The designation meant that developers seeking planning permission for certain schemes could bypass the council and go directly to the Planning Inspectorate for a determination.
So let’s get this right Chorley wants special treatment because it doesn’t want to follow the now well established national rules regarding Grey Belt that apply to the 300+ other Councils .
There’s nothing special about Chorley that would justify such an approach IMO.
Everyone needs to take their fair share.
And if a site is Grey Belt it isn’t special is it!
By Just Sayin (Again)
The only thing special about Chorley is its long term inability to get to grips with its housing requirement.
By Mr N Imby
@Just Sayin (Again) a developers can call anything Grey belt if it suits their narrative. The fact if Grey Belt isn’t defined enough and that’s the problem
By Jon P
The government must take a hardline approach to this request. Chorley is experiencing the consequences of years of ineptitude, poor decision making, and procrastination when it comes to Plan making. If they had approved applications that should have been approved, and planned for sustainable growth by allocating land appropriately and in a timely manner (aka doing their job), then this could have been easily avoided. Let it be a warning to other LPAs that continue to drag their heels.
By FAFO
Good on Chorley Council! Plenty of other local authorities are starting to follow their lead. The government has seriously misled the public about what “greybelt” actually means. Before the general election, we were told it referred to things like disused car parks and industrial sites within the existing greenbelt. But once in office, the definition was broadened to include any greenbelt land on the edges of existing settlements.
If councils keep pushing back together, the government could be facing a significant legal battle.
By Steve Whittle
Grey belt isn’t done specifically because of 5 year housing land supply. It is a new policy which is followed across the Country. You cannot simply ignore it just because you might not like it. Chorley have been a complete waste of space for a number of years now. They were lucky to be given powers back off Central Govt.
By Anon
And they wonder why they haven’t hit their housing supply quota, and blame everyone else for a shortage of new homes…
By Abdul
Does the council not understand what “persistent under-performance” in relation to its planning department means. Steve Reed has nailed his knackers to the mast in raising the number of houses built. This would be a red flag to all housebuilders going forward if approved. Chorley Council has tried to get away with refusing numerous applications, fallen well behind with targets and are now crying to the one person who wants 300000 homes built a year. Good luck with that…
By P C McGarry
Another example of a local authority not being ‘Open for Business’. And we wonder why we have a housing crisis and unemployment is increasing…… I hope the Government tell them to Get Lost!!
By YIMBY
Perhaps Jon P needs to read the NPPF, where grey belt is defined. A developer can say what they like – they have to be able to justify it against those criteria and the other relevant paragraphs in the NPPF.
By Green Belt Ben
The designation of gray belt is often an excuse to build on green belt and destroy yet more habitat which is sadly vanishing in this Country. The so called ‘Nature Restoration Fund’ is only a voluntary scheme for developers to pay into if they wish. This now opens up to developers to build on green belt in a speedy way with little protection.
By Paul Greenslade
They didn’t care in 2017 when they let developers develop the last green land in my area, thus rendering everything brick and tarmac. I’m still fuming
By Anonymous
The whole green belt banner needs sorting.. The general public immediately hear green belt and grab a pitch fork… Now 150 years since its conception, it has gone through numerous changes and will again.. Whether Jon P or anyone else reads the NPPF is irrelevant.. Housebuilders have, and seem more intelligent than LPA’s in working out the way to win. Chorley should give its head a wobble, look forward and get realistic applications on the go… Resistance is futile…
By W Carson
We need to get this god awful government out of office before our countryside disappears altogether. We are already the most nature depleted nation in Europe and Labour have proven they don’t care for nature and our environment. I’ve never known anything like it. I’m surprised David Attenborough hasn’t publicly attacked Labours damaging planning reforms.
By Ian Casey
Chorley council asking a man who had caps made with “Build Baby Build” to help them stop housebuilders building.. And doing it in public. Classic British comedy…
By G McCain