Civic Voice is hosting a number of informal one-hour discussions focused on the newly proposed "Grey Belt" designation and the ongoing House of Lords inquiry into its potential impact on planning and development. This inquiry is a crucial element of the government’s strategy to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, which includes revising the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to incorporate new land categories suitable for development.

The concept of a “Grey Belt” is emerging as a potential new designation for land. As this category is developed, there are concerns about how it might be defined, managed, and its impact on local planning decisions. Civic Voice is preparing its response to the inquiry and is currently in discussions with Baroness Kay Andrews on our views.

Format of the events
The session will open with a brief overview of the House of Lords inquiry and a presentation on Civic Voice’s initial position and evidence being prepared for submission. This will be followed by an interactive discussion featuring representatives from Civic Voice, local civic societies, and planning experts to explore the implications of the Grey Belt designation.

Key Topics for Discussion

1. Understanding the Grey Belt and the House of Lords Inquiry
2. Impact on Local Communities and Urban Sprawl
3. Policy Considerations and Civic Voice’s position

We are pleased to welcome James Littlewood, CEO of Cambridge, Past, Present & Future, to the panel for the South East event. James will share insights from his work from Cambridge, Past Present and Future, where decisions about Green Belt releases are made based on factors such as transport access, service availability, and overall landscape quality. He will explore the challenges that the Grey Belt proposals could introduce, including the risk of pushing development to unsuitable areas and the ambiguity in defining the “best” land to protect.

Your Involvement
We encourage all Civic Voice member societies to actively engage with this inquiry. It’s vital that we hear from you to ensure the final recommendations reflect a broad range of community perspectives. You can register to attend a session on the Civic Voice website via: https://www.civicvoice.org.uk/get-involved/events/.

Get Involved
If you would like to be involved in our Grey Belt work or share your thoughts on the proposals, please contact us at info@civicvoice.org.uk, and we will add you to our dedicated mailing list.

For more information on the Grey Belt inquiry, visit House of Lords Inquiry. To view our map of Civic Voice members, click here.