4.1 The fundamental aim of the Green Belt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. Green Belts perform five important functions in:
4.2 The Green Belt has a positive role to play in providing opportunities for access to the countryside for the urban population. Within the Green Belt, there is a general presumption against inappropriate development which should not be approved except in very special circumstances.
4.3 The National Planning Policy Framework also attaches great importance to preserving the openness of the Green Belt. The Government notes that Local Planning Authorities should ensure that substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt when assessing applications for development. 'Very special circumstances will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations.'
4.4 Green Belt covers 77% of the area of Three Rivers and this contributes to the character of the District as a whole and its desirability as a place to live and work. Protecting its openness is set out in Policy CP11 of the Core Strategy. However, as set out in the Spatial Strategy, some minor adjustments to the Green Belt may be necessary over the Plan period to promote a sustainable pattern of development. Any changes to the established Green Belt boundary as defined in the Local Plan will be made through the Site Allocations LDD and shown on the Proposals Map.
4.5 The Council recognises that residents living within areas designated as Green Belt may wish to build ancillary buildings such as sheds and garages, extend their existing dwellings or in some cases apply for the replacement dwellings. However, it is essential that these are of a scale and design that do not impact on the openness and rural character of the Green Belt. Proposals for development in the Green Belt will also be assessed against other policies including those relating to design of development such as Policy CP12 of the Core Strategy. Further guidance relating to floorspace and other factors that the Council will take into account in the consideration of householder developments in particular is provided in the adopted Green Belt SPG. This guidance will be incorporated into the forthcoming Design SPD.
4.6 It is also acknowledged that proposals may be put forward for the conversion or change of use of buildings in the Green Belt. The Council accepts that in some circumstances this may be considered not inappropriate. However, the acceptability of a change of use of a building in a Green Belt location will be dependent upon the nature of the building and its appearance in the landscape and whether the proposed use would accord with Green Belt policy and not have an unacceptable impact on the environment.
DM2 Green Belt |
As set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, the construction of new buildings in the Green Belt is inappropriate with certain exceptions, some of which are set out below: a) New Buildings Within the Green Belt, except in very special circumstances, approval will not be given for new buildings other than those specified in national policy and other relevant guidance. Further guidance on the factors that will be considered in assessing applications for agricultural or forestry dwellings in the Green Belt is contained in Appendix 3. b) Extensions to Buildings Extensions to buildings in the Green Belt that are disproportionate in size (individually or cumulatively) to the original building will not be permitted. The building's proximity and relationship to other buildings and whether it is already, or would become, prominent in the setting and whether it preserves the openness of the Green Belt will be taken into account. c) Replacement Dwellings Replacement dwellings in the Metropolitan Green Belt will only be permitted where the following criteria are met:
d) Ancillary Buildings The Council will only support the provision of ancillary buildings in the Green Belt where it can be demonstrated that the development would:
e) Extensions to Residential Curtilages The Council will safeguard the countryside from encroachment, therefore proposals which include the extension of the curtilage of a residential property within the Green Belt which involves an incursion into the countryside will not be supported. f) Re-use and Conversion of Buildings in the Green Belt The Council will only support applications for the re-use/conversion of buildings in the Green Belt where:
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| Policy Links | |
| National Policy (others may also be relevant) |
National Planning Policy Framework |
| Related Core Strategy Policies | CP1: Overarching Policy on Sustainable Development
CP9: Green Infrastructure CP11: Green Belt CP12: Design of Development |
| Core Strategy Strategic Objective | S1, S2, S9 |
| Further Guidance | |
| Supplementary Planning Documents | SPG3: Green Belt Design SPD |
| Additional Information | Hertfordshire Building Futures: http://www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures |
4.7 The Metropolitan Green Belt is a long-standing instrument of national and regional planning policy. Whilst much guidance is provided in national policy, the preferred approach supplements this with other relevant local criteria. The preferred policy approach seeks to provide the context for protecting the Green Belt in Three Rivers and ensures that development does not harm the Green Belt.
4.8 This policy links directly to Core Strategy Objective 1: to ensure that development in Three Rivers recognises and safeguards the District's distinctive character of small towns and villages interspersed with attractive countryside and Green Belt, through sustainable patterns of development; Objective 2: to make efficient use of previously developed land and Objective 9: to conserve and enhance the countryside and the diversity of landscapes, wildlife and habitats in the District.
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