Figures published by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) show that more than 150,000 houses, along with over 1,000 hectares of mines, offices and warehousing, are planned for Green Belt sites.

This is an increase of 84% in a year and comes despite Government assurances that its planning reforms would 'maintain protection of the Green Belt'.

CPRE is now raising serious concerns about whether the Government's pledge to prevent building in the Green Belt other than in 'exceptional circumstances' is being implemented effectively. Three years have passed since Secretary of State Eric Pickles pledged to revoke the regional plans that 'worst of all threatened the destruction of the Green Belt'.

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However, new CPRE analysis shows that the long and protracted work by the Government to revoke regional plans has now been largely undone, with the proposed level of building on the Green Belt back to the same level as in these former plans.

CPRE's new evidence shows that across the country, 150,464 houses are planned for Green Belt sites. This follows a previous evaluation undertaken in August 2012, which found that more than 81,000 dwellings were planned, equivalent to an area the size of Slough. Over the next 20 years, the proposals would lead to a much bigger area, one the size of either the London Borough of Hounslow or Redditch, being built on.

(CD/JP)