A Lords committee criticizes the government’s grey belt housing plan as rushed and poorly planned, raising concerns about its effectiveness.
Grey belt land includes ugly green belt areas. It also includes old car parks and old petrol stations. The plan aims for 1.5 million homes by 2029. This land is a buffer between towns.
Some builders support the grey belt idea. They want easier planning rules there. However, the Lords committee sees problems as the government seems to misunderstand things. They have many planning policies at once.
The committee says this makes the government’s goals harder. They don’t know if environmental concerns matter. Access to transport needs considering too, as do schools or parks.
Lord Moylan leads the Built Environment Committee. He said the government lacks a plan to measure success and policies must show they work. He feels this policy fails that test.
More housing is key to economic growth, the government’s top priority. Lord Moylan said the grey belt policy felt rushed and incoherent.
The Housing Department said they are fixing planning which will free land for homes. This aims for sustainable, affordable housing. They called it just one reform to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth.