In 2006 the Council carried out an assessment as to how the existing Green Belt in South Gloucestershire fulfils the statutory purposes and objectives identified in the government's Planning Policy Guidance note on Green Belts (PPG2). This work will be used to help inform the production of the Local Development Framework and has already been used to inform the Council's response to the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). To carry out the assessment we divided South Gloucestershire into 23 areas which have been mapped and listed. For each area a site visit was made and an assessment sheet completed, which included a commentary on how the area fulfils green belt purposes and objectives.
The assessment does not identify areas of land proposed to be released from the Green Belt because we have not yet completed the sustainability appraisal and identification of environmental constraints. The report does, however, consider whether there is non-Green Belt land that would meet the statutory purposes in PPG2.
The assessment does not consider detailed Green Belt boundary changes. This will be done in the Local Development Framework after the general extent of the Green Belt has been set in the RSS.
The assessment was subject to consultation in March/April 2006. We considered responses and amendments to the assessment at the Cabinet meeting on 3rd July 2006.
The final version of the assessment and the Council's response to representations are available to download (see the 'read more' box on the right of this page) or you can buy a copy. The assessment report costs £12 and the Council's response to the consultation costs £18.
PPG2 can be viewed on the Department for Communities and Local Government website.