Concerns over the Green Belt (August 2005)
There are increasing concerns for the Green Belt which has been protecting our towns and cities from development since the 1950s. The government has been accused of turning the green belt into 'an elastic band' (BBC), allowing areas of green belt land to be built on. With increasing population growth and the subsequent increased demand for housing, the Green Belt, which was originally designed to counter the problem of urban sprawl, is becoming increasingly under threat. The government have said that they are committed to maintaining and even increasing the Green Belt and claim that they have not relaxed the policy. Figures show an increase in the % of all new building on brown field land from56% in 1997 up to 67% and the government maintain that the continued use of brownfield sites has helped to protect the Green Belt. Some concern has been raised that green belts lead to ‘leap frogging’ where due to lack of housing in an area, people are living in one place and commuting elsewhere to work. It has also been recognised that not all Green Belt land has the perceived asthetics of green and open land with some areas containing landfill sites / quarries and boundaries of some Green Belts are being reviewed. There are concerns in a number of areas, as further urban development threatens the existing green belts. Countryside around both Stevenage and Cambridge is under threat due to plans for the development of new homes, whilst other areas are under threat from other types of development, including plans for a park and ride scheme on the outskirts of Chester. Follow some of the links below to gain a better understanding of the threats the Green Belt faces and the various viewpoints held on the subject. Article Entry - 7th August 2005 Follow up Links: “Elastic Band” Green Belt Claim (includes video on how greenbelts have benefited Britain) (BBC) Warning over Green Belt “Hunger” (BBC) Is the Green Belt getting looser? (BBC) Gloucestershire – April 2005 Green Belt ‘at risk’ from homes (BBC) Tackle Urban Sprawl with Green Belts say Conservatives (Politics.co.uk)
Syllabus Links: Year 10 – Settlement Unit – Use of Greenbelts to control Urban Sprawl Year 12 – Unit 2 Human Environments: 2.2 Settlement Patterns – Reasons for and issues associated with edge-of-town-development (2.2.3) and Policies for managing changing urban and rural settlement (synoptic link) Year 13 – Unit 5 Human Systems, Processes and Patterns: 5.2 Rural-Urban interrelationships (5.2.3) – Patterns at the rural urban fringe including conflict and planning problems.
|
|
GeoBytes@StIvo
was created and is maintained by St Ivo School Geography
Department ©2001-2005
R Chambers/ St Ivo School Geography Department
Last modified: 03/09/05 Site Info / Disclaimer / Use of Photographs / Copyright / Contact Details |
August 2005 - 'Squeezing'
the Green Belt