Data is the key to unlocking the grey area around grey belt

SINCE the new Labour government was elected in early July, one phrase has been circulating more than any – grey belt. As promised during the election campaign, Labour has hit the ground running with its focus on housing and an overhaul of the planning system – and by introducing ‘grey belt’ hopes to hit its ambitious 1.5m homes target. 

However, for any project to succeed, a developer needs to know a proposed scheme will work – and to do this the industry must have clarity on what grey belt land is.

We need to understand how grey belt will be defined. Only then, can we identify which sites fall within that definition to establish the viability of the proposals.

Grey belt is a term that has invoked mixed reactions since it was first coined. It involves taking poor quality and neglected spaces within green belt and turning the disused wasteland into communities with vital housing provisions. However, the controversy lies in the fact that at its core, it still involves building on green belt, which covers roughly 13% of England and has historically been protected.

Meeting housing targets

Currently, the main confusion across the industry are the parameters for grey belt: what will be classified under it, how the planning process will work and how it will differ from current green belt and brownfield regulations. Without these details, it’s just a name. 

Knight Frank has reported that 100,000 to 200,000 new homes could be built on grey belt sites, and others have produced similar findings showing just how valuable this land can be in meeting housing targets. However, knowing the specifics of each of these sites will be the key to unlocking the housing potential there. Through examining our data, we can see not only the plots that could fit the grey belt criteria but also the feasibility of those sites from a planning and financial point of view, so that they can be unlocked as opportunities.

For example, Cobham in Surrey sits in the London commuter belt and as such is a highly desirable location. Currently, there are 20 sites within the small village that fit grey belt criteria as we understand it, and based on minimum standards each of these plots could yield at least six flats. That’s a minimum of 120 additional dwellings.

Access to data insights such as these will not only speed up developing on these grey belt areas but will also add some much-needed clarity to the potential that grey belt offers. Equally, other information will give insight into historical uses or planning information to further inform the bigger picture. The government, developers and the rest of the supply chain need to work in partnership to gather these insights and deliver housing targets – it’s not enough to work in isolation anymore if we want to collectively make change.

Grey belt is not without its challenges and critics, but the data doesn’t lie. If housing is our top priority as an industry and for the government, this seems like a very viable route. It holds the promise of new homes and revitalised communities but also poses questions about environmental standards and economic viability – and, if Labour is to reach its targets, likely, the green belt itself will have to be reimagined.