Leader’s Blog

The Grey Belt Debate: Building Homes, Not Barriers

by Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council 

Hertsmere’s housing crisis demands action, not preservation of every acre

The Campaign to Protect Rural England’s latest salvo against grey belt development betrays a profound misunderstanding of the housing emergency facing Hertsmere’s residents. While CPRE wrings its hands over 302 hectares potentially released for housing, they conveniently ignore the 1,731 households who approached Hertsmere Borough Council for housing assistance in 2023-24 alone.

Let us be clear about what grey belt actually means. The revised National Planning Policy Framework defines it as land in the Green Belt that either comprises previously developed land or does not strongly contribute to preventing urban sprawl, keeping settlements separate, or preserving historic towns. This is not the rolling countryside and nature spots that CPRE claims to defend – those remain protected. We are talking about land that makes minimal contribution to Green Belt purposes.

CPRE’s emotional appeal to “locally valued landscapes” and “daily dose of nature” obscures the human cost of housing unaffordability. In Hertsmere, average house prices stand at £554,000 – a staggering 14.5 times median earnings. Young people cannot afford to buy where they grew up. Key workers struggle to live near their employment. Families languish in over-crowded accommodation or unsuitable temporary housing.

The notion that all Green Belt land is sacrosanct belongs to a bygone era. Research consistently shows that not all Green Belt is high quality – and much could be enhanced for biodiversity while accommodating sustainable development. Meanwhile, brownfield sites alone cannot meet housing need. Independent analysis demonstrates that even building on every brownfield site would deliver only 1.4 million homes – insufficient to meet national targets.

What CPRE fails to acknowledge is that Labour’s grey belt policy includes robust “golden rules” designed specifically to ensure development benefits communities. These mandate 50% affordable housing on grey belt sites – far exceeding typical levels. They require new infrastructure including schools, GP surgeries, and public transport. They demand creation of new green spaces accessible to local people. Our recent Lyndhurst Farm development in Borehamwood exemplifies this approach: 186 affordable homes with a new community hub, upgraded allotments, and £550,000 invested in local transport.

The alternative to building is condemning another generation to housing insecurity. Before my administration took control in May 2023, Hertsmere delivered an average of just 43 affordable homes annually over the previous decade, against an identified need of 503 per year. This chronic under-supply has driven rents to £950 monthly for a one-bedroom flat – £300 above regional averages.

CPRE presents a false choice between housing and environment. We can – and must – do both. Grey belt development, properly regulated, delivers the homes our communities desperately need while protecting genuinely valuable countryside. It supports economic growth, creates jobs, and generates billions in infrastructure investment.

The real threat to Hertsmere is not measured development on lower-quality Green Belt land. It is the status quo that prices out local families, forces key workers into impossible commutes, and leaves our young people with no stake in their community’s future. Labour inherited this crisis; we are determined to solve it. That means building homes where they are needed, not preserving every field simply because it is painted green on a map.