Westminster Hall

15 September 2026

Contents updated on 15 Sept 2026

Sir Jeremy Wright and MPs from multiple parties criticise the broad grey belt definition for effectively re‑designating green belt and open countryside for development, argue it shifts housing pressure to rural areas, undermines agricultural land and infrastructure, and press for a stronger brownfield‑first approach and mechanisms to force build‑out before greenfield release, with the Opposition questioning targets, viability and the claimed need for extensive greenfield loss.

Chamber Tue, 15 Sept 2026 House of Commons

00:11 - 00:14

Speaker 1

Sir Jeremy Wright to move the motion.

00:14 - 03:20

Speaker 2

Thank you very much indeed, Dame Siobhain. It's a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship and to have the opportunity to introduce this debate about the definition of grey belt. Dame Siobhain, as you will know, shortly after its election, this government introduced a new concept into planning and development, that of grey belt land. And this would be a subset of land designated as green belt currently, which the government considered less worthy of protection than the rest of the green belt and on which it wanted to make development easier. And I have asked for this debate because I think it's important that we understand the significance of this new concept.

And specifically, what I'm interested in understanding, and I know the minister will do his best to help with all of these items, is first of all how different grey belt designation seems to be to what the government originally said that grey belt would be. Secondly, its likely impact on our countryside. And thirdly, how it combines with other changes the government is making to the balance of development in rural and urban areas. So, Dame Siobhain, let's start with the difference between what the government originally suggested grey belt would be and what their definition, published in the National Planning Policy Framework document, actually says it is. In July of 2024, the Right Honourable Lady for Ashton-under-Lyne, in her first incarnation as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, told the House that the government's intention was that, and I quote, "we will release lower quality grey belt sites, disused car parks and garages and ugly wasteland", end quote.

She also said that, and I quote again, "the land we are talking about, grey belt, which we will define in the NPPF consultation, is not agricultural land, it is disused garages and things of that nature", end quote. However, when the actual definition of grey belt land appeared in the NPPF of December 2024, the concept was considerably wider than that. Grey belt is now defined as land in the green belt that does not strongly contribute to three of the five purposes of the green belt which were included in the previous definition of green belt land. And those three purposes are: to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas, to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another, and to preserve the setting and character of historic towns. In other words, to remain as green belt and not to be reclassified as grey belt, land must need protecting in order to prevent urban sprawl or to stop urban areas merging or to be near enough to a historic town to affect its setting or character.

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