Housing wars: the fight to save Britain’s green belt

Over 12 per cent of England’s land is designated green belt, some of which is under threat of planning proposals. The London green belt is at greater risk than it has ever been since it was proposed in 1938. The green belt is so called because it prevents urban sprawl, not merely because the majority of it is actually green. The government is reforming the planning system to help build 1.5 million more homes over the next four years, including on green belt land where development has already occurred but where the land needs to be cleaned and repurposed, known as the grey belt. Over a hundred organisations in the London green belt are fighting to protect their green belt. Campaigners in Epsom, Billericay and St Albans explain why they want to protect theirs. READ MORE: Read the best of our journalism: Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: