Levelling Up Minister – We need ‘sensible Adjustments’ to Green Belt which is now too large

‘Times

The fact the green belt is larger today than it was when Margaret Thatcher came to power is an extraordinary state of affairs,’ he said.

‘We need to look at a planning system where we make sensible adjustments which don’t threaten communities and most fundamentally are about going with popular consent, and actually creating incentives that allow local areas to back growth.’

Under Thatcher the size of the Green Belt doubled, after she backed down following controversy in 1983 when Clarkes predecessor Patrick Jenkin proposed rather mild reform to ensure Green Belt changes were sensibly planned and kept up to date with strategic policy, with reviews where necessary.