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Labour sets out golden rules for ‘grey belt’ with 50% affordable housing promised
The Labour Party has unveiled its ‘golden rules’ for building on the so-called grey belt, which includes a stipulation that a site must target 50% affordable housing.
Under the plans announced today (Friday 19 April), Labour said if it is elected, the party will create a new category of grey belt to allow development on “poor quality” and “ugly” green belt land.
The announcement builds on plans first announced by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in October last year.
Among the five new golden rules for development is that any scheme built on green belt land must target 50% affordable housing.
“We will end the Tories’ wild west of green belt building, with affordable housing rates as low as 10% with expensive executive homes local people can’t afford,” Labour said in a press statement.
It did not detail what it classifies as ‘affordable’ housing.
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The first golden rule listed is a brownfield-first approach, meaning brownfield development should be prioritised ahead of green belt. Also, when building within the green belt, brownfield land should be prioritised, Labour said.
Explaining its reason for creating a grey belt, the party said: “We don’t think it is right that wastelands and old car parks located on the green belt are given the same protections in national policy as rolling hills and nature spots in the green belt.”
Another rule includes ensuring new public services and infrastructure, such as schools and GP surgeries, are introduced when building on the green belt.
The final rule is that green belt development must be “accompanied by a plan to improve existing green spaces and create new ones accessible to local people”.
The party also that it will “look to ensure high environmental standards, that go above the legal minimum on biodiversity net gain must be met”.
Overall, Labour has pledged to build 1.5 million homes over the next five-year parliamentary term. This equates to 300,000 homes a year, the current government’s target which it has repeatedly missed.
Sir Keir said: “Labour supports brownfield-first policies. But we must be honest, we cannot build the homes Britain needs without also releasing some land currently classed as green belt.”
He added: “We will get tough on the blockers to back hard-working aspirational Brits, deliver the homes and local services that communities deserve, all while protecting access to genuine green space.”
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Labour and shadow housing secretary, said: “Labour has a plan for smarter green belt release, underpinned by strong rules to tackle the housing emergency and build the homes we need.
“When we build on the grey belt, our promise is that more houses means more schools, doctors and green spaces families can use.”
The issue of the green belt has been a long-running, complex political battlefield.
Around a year ago, prime minister Rishi Sunak said he was standing by a pledge to protect the green belt as “this is what local communities want”.
His predecessor, Liz Truss, said during her time as chief secretary to the Treasury in 2019 that the Conservatives should build a million homes on the green belt.
Reacting to today’s plans from Labour, Richard Holden, chair of the Conservative Party, told the BBC: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives will respect local communities building the right homes in the right places, which has delivered one million homes over this parliament and sticking to the plan to reduce inflation and get mortgage rates down to help first-time buyers.”
Inside Housing has spoken to shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook about the Labour party’s wider ambitions for housing and its determination to direct funding towards social rent.
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