Reimagining the greenbelt is vital to preserving it

May 14, 2019

The Mail on Sunday report that the Treasury Chief Secretary, Liz Truss has said the Conservatives should build a million homes on the green belt, which she believes would allow the under 40s to own their own home.

Truss said that “doing more of what we have been doing for the past nine years is not going to win over modern Britain. We need to be bold.” She added: “We should allow villages to expand by four or five houses a year without having to go through the planning system, so people can afford to live locally.”

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) believes a more nuanced discussion about the greenbelt is required because, while it could support a million more new homes, we would be wasting chances to build on brownfield and small sites within existing communities.

Many of the NFB’s members build rurally and on small sites, yet struggle to secure planning in their communities because, when sites are allocated on green spaces, they are typically for hundreds of homes and not the tens that they usually deliver. Many sites are also identified as greenbelt, but are in fact previously developed land.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “We need to reassess where the greenbelt starts and ends, as well as exploring ways to build on green sites within existing communities. This will help provide more new rural housing and employment and promote opportunities to reconnect people with nature.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy at the House Builders Associations (HBA), said: “Our rural communities continue to shrink as young people leave and local people struggle to afford ever increasing house prices. To preserve it successfully, we encourage politicians to reimagine the greenbelt as a tool for prosperity, not a blunt instrument to resist change.“

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

FMB calls on Reeves to scrap housing tax threat

The Chancellor needs to scrap the Government’s proposed landfill tax quarry exemption which will add up to £28,000 to the cost of homes on small sites in next week’s Autumn Budget, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “At a time when the Government is failing to…
Read More →
Breaking News

Full Steam Ahead! UK Construction to return to growth in 2026

Construction intelligence specialists predict renewed activity following false-start over the summer. Revised figures will see UK construction sector grow 21% over the next two years Private housebuilding remains on course to grow significantly, with activity still predicted to rise by almost a fifth in 2027 Commercial office starts set to continue their ascent, and increasing…
Read More →
Breaking News

Winter is Coming: Douglas & Gordon Warns Landlords and Tenants to Take Action Before Disputes Occur

Mould, damp, burst pipes and boilers on the blink? With temperatures set to plummet in London this week, real-estate agent Douglas & Gordon is advising landlords and tenants to take action before issues occur. With 45% of landlords experiencing arrears or disputes, often linked to property condition or delayed maintenance* the agent’s expert lettings team…
Read More →
Breaking News

Home sellers slashing asking prices amid Budget speculation

The latest research from Property DriveBuy reveals that homesellers are slashing asking prices across the country in an attempt to attract buyers in a stagnant pre-Budget housing market. The latest asking price data* shows that the average asking price in Britain (£364,833) fell by -1.8% between October and November 2025, contributing to an overall annual…
Read More →
Breaking News

Mansion tax would hit London hardest

Mansion tax would hit London hardest, as capital accounts for 66% of all homes sold above £2m so far this year The latest data insight from Enness Global has revealed that, should the Chancellor introduce a 1% annual mansion tax on properties valued over £2 million, the measure would overwhelmingly target London homeowners, with two-thirds…
Read More →
Breaking News

Share of first-time buyers opting for low-deposit deals rose 8.6% in October

Barclays mortgage data shows deposits under £20,000 made up 22.1 per cent of first-time buyer completions in October 60 per cent of renters say they would require financial incentives or homebuying support schemes to get onto the property ladder Confidence in the housing market dipped three percentage points to 24 per cent month-on-month, although sentiment…
Read More →