country fields, and meadows along with the wildlife who live there, are vanishing, as tens of thousands of executive houses are being built over them daily, with so many more huge developments planned. It is being witnessed in every corner of the UK, nowhere is, in reality, protected; not AONBs, not ancient woodlands, not the Greenbelt. An argument against green belt policy is: Demand for new housing outstripping supply, further increasing house prices and a lack of new affordable housing provision leading to young people and key workers being unable to stay in the area. With a wealth of experience working with homeowners, developers and the public sector, green belt architects can take your project from conception through to completion, maximising its full potential. Paragraph 142 of the NPPF (2021) states that Plans should ‘set out ways in which the impact of removing land from the Green Belt can be offset through compensatory improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of remaining Green Belt land’. Innovative engineering systems related to Green Belt Planning Loopholes are built on on strong relationships with local authorities.
Opportunities can vary from retaining existing vegetation to providing new planting of native trees and shrubs; ensuring that watercourses are protected and taking measures to protect individual species. Here’s the interesting thing – a press release on 5 March 2018, from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), emphasised that councils should prioritise brownfield sites for redevelopment. The release strongly suggested that Green Belt land should be prioritised at all costs to limit urban sprawl as much as possible. There have been reports of a drop in standards among some volume house builders and the controversy of Leasehold versus Freehold. And 'land banking' in order to control supply and therefore price. Maximising potential for Green Belt Land isn't the same as meeting client requirements and expectations.

Optimising The Density Of Development

Green belt architectural businesses enable the delivery of energy efficient buildings with low embodied carbon. They also offer a single point of expertise to help their clients meet their objectives. The replacement of an existing dwelling is a common project in the Green Belt and provides the opportunity enhance the plot and increase the size the dwelling. It also provides an excellent self-build option. Misguided calls to build on Green Belt result in millions of people losing valuable access to countryside without doing anything to tackle the housing shortage. Democratic urban design is about creating inclusive environments with few barriers while simultaneously preserving the unique character of a space. Many existing houses in the countryside pre-date the introduction of the green belt planning system. Other properties have been the subject of planning applications down the years, and, for a multitude of different reasons, have been granted planning consent. My thoughts on Net Zero Architect differ on a daily basis.