Introduction

9.1

Approximately half of Knowsley, comprising all open countryside outside the boundaries of the urban areas is designated as Green Belt.  Knowsley’s Green Belt consists of urban fringe⁹ and countryside, which is a major environmental asset of ecological, landscape, recreation and agricultural importance. The UDP seeks to protect the urban fringe and countryside from inappropriate development, whilst maximising its environmental, economic and social benefits for Merseyside.  The Council aims to ensure that the countryside is well managed and accessible to the residents of Merseyside, reflecting the aims of Knowsley’s Countryside Recreation Strategy (approved 1996).  

9.2

In Britain as a whole, the rural economy is facing significant challenges against a background of ongoing reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, and following the more specific problems caused by BSE and Foot and Mouth disease. The Government’s rural white paper recognises the inherent capacity of the countryside to meet this challenge and encourages diversification of the rural economy.  The well being of the rural economy can be supported through the sensitive diversification of farm enterprises and other appropriate development, such as renewable energy.

 9.3

Within the “urban fringe” and countryside there is a need to balance the needs of the urban population for recreational and leisure pursuits with the need to conserve and enhance the landscape, and to accommodate rural uses such as farming.   As Knowsley's rural areas are designated as Green Belt, there are tight planning controls over development in these areas.

The purposes of Green Belt

 9.4

Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 “Green Belts” states that the fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open (i.e. free from most forms of built development).  The purposes of including land in the Green Belt are:

•  To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas;

•  To prevent neighbouring towns from merging;

•  To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;

•  To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and

•  To assist in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

 9.5

To further these objectives, Green Belt planning policy must necessarily guard against development which could be more appropriately located in built up areas. The protection of Green Belts in this way offers opportunities to:

•  Provide access to the open countryside for the urban population;

•  Provide outdoor sport and recreation facilities near urban areas;

•  Retain attractive landscapes and enhance less attractive landscapes;

•  Improve damaged land around towns;

•  Secure nature conservation interest; and

•  Retain land in agricultural, forestry and related uses.

History of the Green Belt on Merseyside

 9.6

Green Belt boundaries across the whole of Merseyside were defined for the first time in the Merseyside Green Belt Local Plan, adopted in 1983. The boundaries of the Green Belt in Knowsley (and in Merseyside in general) were tightly drawn around existing urban areas. By their restrictive nature, the tight Green Belt boundaries are considered to be likely to encourage regeneration in the existing urban areas. Within Knowsley, the Green Belt has remained almost unaltered since 1983 (apart from minor “tidying up” of boundaries which took place when the existing Knowsley Unitary Development Plan was adopted in 1998).

Approach taken in this Plan to the definition of future Green Belt boundaries

9.7

Government policy states that Green Belt boundaries, once established, can only be changed in exceptional circumstances. The Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West, 2003 proposed that there should be a strategic study of Green Belt across Merseyside and Halton. This study (the Merseyside Green Belt Study - Final Report) was published in January 2005 and concluded that there was no urgent need to review the Green Belt boundary in Merseyside. Since that time the Government has published its response to the Barker Review of Housing Supply in which it signalled its intention to make planning more responsive to the housing market and better able to deliver a variety and choice of housing. These are matters that, it is anticipated, will be taken into account in the preparation of the new Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West which will determine the scope and timing of any Green Belt Review.

9.8

In 2004, two urban capacity studies were completed which are relevant to this Plan, one of which assessed the capacity for new housing development on brownfield capacity sources within the urban area in Knowsley, and the other of which did the same but for Merseyside as a whole (ref: “Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council: Urban Housing Capacity Final Report, White Young Green” 2004 and “Merseyside Sub-Region: Urban Housing Potential Study: 2004” White Young Green). These studies (which were taken into account in the Merseyside Green Belt Study mentioned above) identify that there is enough land within the existing urban area to meet the need for new housing development up to and beyond the end-date of this Plan (2016). The Plan does not, therefore propose any changes to Green Belt boundaries to accommodate future housing development.

9.9

The potential need to accommodate land for economic development is, however (taking account of the results of the Green Belt Study) considered likely to be more pressing. The current supply of land for economic development is assessed in chapter 6 “Economic Development”. Whilst in quantitative terms there is still a significant supply available (164.8 hectares as in May 2004) there are considered to be constraints on the supply in terms of the range of site sizes, availability and quality. These constraints may become more severe as the Plan period progresses. However, it is not considered appropriate to make any changes to Green Belt boundaries to accommodate economic development until at least after the new Regional Spatial Strategy is published, and even then any changes would need to be identified in a future Development Plan Document for Knowsley.

Proposed minor changes to Green Belt boundaries

9.10

Notwithstanding the points set down above, the Plan does include several minor changes to the Green Belt boundary. The effect of these is to ensure the boundary runs along the actual boundary of existing housing areas. The areas concerned are located at Liverpool Road (adjacent to Kings Business Park), Wheatfield Road (Cronton), Pottery Lane (Whiston) and Knowsley Park Lane (Prescot). These changes have been made because keeping the existing housing areas in the Green Belt would not serve any of the purposes of Green Belts.

⁹ Urban fringe is rural land that borders urban areas.  The majority of Knowsley’s rural land is adjacent to urban areas within Merseyside.

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