Approach to Green Belt

Context

The Green Belt plays an important role in shaping the form and character of Tamworth and its surrounding area. National policy recognises its role in preventing urban sprawl, maintaining openness and safeguarding the setting of towns and neighbouring settlements.

This is particularly significant in Tamworth given the borough’s compact and tightly constrained boundary. The urban area is largely contained, with limited opportunities for outward expansion without affecting Green Belt land. The Green Belt therefore helps maintain separation between Tamworth and nearby settlements within Lichfield District and North Warwickshire, while protecting the surrounding countryside.

At the same time, the borough faces ongoing development needs. How these needs can be accommodated, and the extent to which this may affect the Green Belt, is a key consideration for the new local plan.

Our proposed approach

There are two elements that need to be considered for Green Belt; decision-taking and plan-making.

From a decision-taking perspective, the new local plan will seek to protect and enhance the Green Belt in line with national policy. The plan will also seek to enhance the role of the Green Belt by supporting improvements to green infrastructure, biodiversity and public access.

For plan-making, meeting housing needs and the approach to the Green Belt will be closely linked to the wider strategy for accommodating growth. At this stage, the Council has not reached a conclusion on whether changes to Green Belt boundaries will be required. This will depend on further evidence, including development needs and the capacity of the urban area to accommodate growth. As such, this aspect of the Green Belt is not included in this chapter, which focuses purely on the decision-taking.

Proposed local plan policies on Green Belt

The proposed approach will be reflected in a series of policies within the new plan. The proposed direction of those policies is set out below.

* Please note policy direction numbers follow on from other topic areas available to comment on. This section covers policy directions 28 and 29 *