The Green Belt – what is happening?

Wiltshire has very little green belt but nationally it is the subject of widespread discussion due to the government stating it will create Grey Belts and also review the purposes of the Green Belt.
The environmental coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link, (CPRE is part of it) are preparing a brief with which to lobby MPs.
Green Belt basics
Green Belt is a spatial designation with five purposes, sitting under a fundamental aim of preventing urban sprawl through permanently maintaining belts of open land.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that development on Green Belt land should only happen in ‘very special circumstances’ and that land should only be taken out of the Green Belt altogether in ‘exceptional circumstances.’ By steering development away from Green Belt areas, Green Belt can indirectly contribute towards housing being located near places where we work and the amenities we need.
Currently, the purposes of Green Belt, as set out in the NPPF, are:
(a) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
(b) to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
(c) to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
(d) to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
(e) to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
Land currently designated as Green Belt around towns and cities currently covers a significant portion of England’s land (12.6%), clustered around 15 urban cores. In addition to preventing urban sprawl, it has the potential to promote other functions and benefits. Green Belt land has a higher-than-average percentage of deciduous woodland and significant areas of floodplains.
The potential for nature-based solutions in the land around towns and cities could also offer climate mitigation and adaptation benefits. Land in the Green Belt also has the potential to support peri-urban, nature-friendly farming, and more access to green and blue spaces for people, to the benefit of nature, climate and people.
However, the current debate about the Green Belt focuses more on its strict purposes, and less on what it could deliver for the environment and people. The debate fails to capture how, as a spatial designation, the Green Belt could make better use of its open space to play more of a role in securing nature’s recovery, climate mitigation and adaptation, robust local food systems, and people’s health and wellbeing.
The Government has a strong mandate for housebuilding.
The most recent review of the National Planning Policy Framework includes a review of Green Belt policy with a view to releasing some Green Belt land for housing development.
The current discussion about the future of the Green Belt is focused on its role in meeting housing targets. While there is variability in how different land designated as Green Belt currently contributes to biodiversity, there is a potential role for Green Belt to support wider government targets such as the Environment Act 2021 which includes targets to improve air quality, biodiversity, water quality, and access to and engagement with nature. It should also play more of a role in supporting targets in the Climate Change Act 2008 which commits the UK government by law to reach net zero by 2050.
Green Belt could also play a key role in achieving other national targets, especially supporting the health and wellbeing of millions of people and supporting more local and nature-friendly food and farming. While some local planning authorities recognise the multifunctional benefits that Green Belt provides, they represent only a small proportion of English authorities overall. Without a clear and consistent environmental purpose, or a robust national policy to promote the environmental benefits of Green Belt, the full potential of Green Belt will not be fully realised.