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Navigating the paradox of Green Belt openness: The complete assessment framework

A practical guide for planners, architects, and landowners to understand, assess, and argue openness under the reformed Green Belt framework

Date published: 17 July 2025
Last modified: 25 September 2025
7 minutes read
An expansive landscape exemplifies Green Belt openness, preserving uninterrupted views and natural separation from urban sprawl.
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Stand on a bridleway where Birmingham dissolves into Worcestershire and pause. 

What strikes you first isn't the birdsong or the scent of wild grass - it's the breathing room. Sky vaults overhead, hedges crouch low, horizons stretch endlessly. This quality, this freedom from urban containment, is what planning law calls “openness of the Green Belt.”

Together with permanence, openness forms the philosophical cornerstone protecting 1.6 million hectares of English countryside from the relentless march of suburbia. Yet for all its importance, openness remains a maddeningly elusive concept - a principle everyone cites but few truly master.

Here's the paradox that keeps developers awake at night and leaves landowners perplexed: why might a modest agricultural shed fatally compromise openness, while a 40-hectare solar array is deemed to enhance it? Such outcomes reveal a sophisticated interplay between policy, perception, and professional judgment that defines contemporary practice.

The landscape has shifted seismically. 

The High Court's rigid, volumetric approach in Timmins (2014) gave way to the Court of Appeal's revolutionary Turner decision (2016), which insisted openness has both spatial and visual dimensions.

The Supreme Court's Samuel Smith ruling (2020) then cemented this, declaring openness a “broad planning judgment” rather than a calculator-led test. 

Now, with the December 2024 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introducing “Grey Belt” land and the February 2025 planning practice guidance (PPG) clarifying the new Green Belt rules, we are witnessing the most significant evolution in Green Belt policy for a generation.

Most significantly, the High Court's landmark Mole Valley judgment in 2025 has definitively clarified that openness assessment is embedded within, not separate from, the determination of development appropriateness – fundamentally changing how practitioners approach Grey Belt applications.

If you are a landowner wondering why your neighbour's scheme sailed through while your barn conversion failed, or an architect whose elegant design for a Paragraph 84 house was crushed by outdated volumetric calculations, this guide is your blueprint for understanding - and winning - the openness argument.

This comprehensive guide maps every contour of this evolving landscape. We will:

  • Decode the policy architecture, from the Town and Country Planning Act to the latest NPPF footnotes.
  • Trace the case-law journey that has redefined the assessment of openness.
  • Provide a battle-tested, five-dimension appraisal framework for robust analysis.
  • Walk through real-world scenarios, from previously developed land (PDL) to renewable energy.
  • Dissect Inspector K Townend’s game-changing July 2025 Upper Austby Farm appeal - a masterclass in applying modern openness principles.
  • Unlock the “Grey Belt” opportunity with a practical playbook for delivering development without undermining openness.

By the time we're through, your perspective on Green Belt openness will have evolved from outdated calculations to a sophisticated grasp of modern planning judgement, ready to confidently balance the crucial spatial and visual aspects that define today’s arguments for Green Belt developments.

The policy architecture: Every hook, paragraph, and footnote decoded

Navigating policy to achieve planning permission in the Green Belt requires precision. Understanding the hierarchy of planning law and policy is the first step to building a compelling case.

The statutory springboard

Under section 38(6) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, planning decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan "unless material considerations indicate otherwise." 

Since local development plans invariably drape Green Belt land in highly protective policies, the challenge for applicants is almost always to demonstrate that national policy - specifically the NPPF - or other compelling factors provide a justification to override that restrictive local starting point.

Think of it as a high-stakes chess match where the local plan holds the opening advantage. Your countermove is to deploy the NPPF's exceptions and the new Grey Belt provisions with surgical precision.

The National Planning Policy Framework revolution (December 2024 / February 2025)

Chapter 13 of the NPPF distills Green Belt protection into 19 carefully crafted paragraphs. 

For assessing openness, these are the ones that matter most:

  • Paragraph 143: The five purposes of the Green Belt: These remain the bedrock of Green Belt policy:
    1. To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas.
    2. To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another.
    3. To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment.
    4. To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.
    5. To assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban and.
  • Paragraph 153: The “substantial weight” clause: This is the default position. Any harm to the Green Belt, which explicitly includes harm to openness, must be given “substantial weight” by decision-makers. This is the biggest hurdle for most proposals.
  • Paragraph 154: The toolkit of exceptions: This paragraph lists forms of development that are not inappropriate in the Green Belt, provided they preserve openness and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it. These include buildings for agriculture, facilities for outdoor sport, replacement buildings which are not materially larger, and - crucially for many schemes - the redevelopment of previously developed land (PDL). The NPPF 2024 provides previously developed land (PDL) with a dual test: either no greater impact than existing development, or no substantial harm to openness. Either route qualifies for the Footnote 55 exclusion from automatic "substantial weight."
  • Paragraph 155: The “Grey Belt” game-changer: This new paragraph introduces a distinct route for development on certain Green Belt sites. It states that development on Grey Belt land which meets four specific tests is not "inappropriate development". This is a critical distinction because, as Footnote 55 confirms, if a scheme is not inappropriate under this paragraph, the automatic "substantial weight" against it (from paragraph 153) does not apply.
A woman presents a housing development plan to a group, highlighting potential impact on Green Belt openness.

The PPG: A framework for assessing the spatial and visual aspects of openness

Updated on 25 February 2025, the PPG crystallises decades of case law into a practical assessment framework. It confirms that when assessing the impact on openness, decision-makers can and should consider:

  • Spatial and visual aspects: The PPG explicitly states that "openness is capable of having both spatial and visual aspects – in other words, the visual impact of the proposal may be relevant, as could its volume". This directly embeds the Turner judgment into guidance.
  • Duration: The temporary or permanent nature of the development.
  • Remediability: The ease with which the land could be restored to its original state.
  • Degree of activity: The extent to which the proposal would generate traffic, noise, or other forms of human activity.

These four bullets have transformed abstract legal theory into a practical methodology now embedded in officer reports and appeal decisions across the country.

Crucially, the PPG now clarifies the Mole Valley principle: "If development is considered to be not inappropriate development on previously developed land or grey belt, then this is excluded from the policy requirement to give substantial weight to any harm to the Green Belt, including to its openness." This exclusion applies equally to previously developed land (PDL) redevelopment under paragraph 154 (where the substantial harm test is met) and Grey Belt development under paragraph 155, fundamentally altering the assessment framework for both categories.

The guidance confirms that "where development is not considered to be inappropriate in the Green Belt, it follows that the test of impacts to openness or to Green Belt purposes are addressed and that therefore a proposal does not have to be justified by 'very special circumstances'."

This represents a fundamental shift from the traditional approach where every development was scrutinised for openness impact, to a policy-led framework where appropriateness determines the analytical approach.

The Grey Belt definition and framework

The PPG (paragraph 64-001) provides the all-important definition: Grey Belt land is a parcel of Green Belt land that does not make a "strong contribution" to at least three of the five Green Belt purposes. The guidance specifically points to purposes (a) sprawl prevention, (b) merger prevention, and (d) historic setting preservation as the key considerations.

Development on these sites must then pass the tests in NPPF paragraph 155 and must not "fundamentally undermine" the purposes of the remaining Green Belt across the plan area. Early Grey Belt appeal examples are already showing that this creates a different, more nuanced balancing exercise than the traditional, hard-line approach.

Purpose assessment has become site-specific, with inspectors conducting detailed analysis of how individual sites contribute to the five Green Belt purposes rather than applying blanket assumptions. The "strong contribution" test has proved more nuanced than initially anticipated, as sites can fail to make a strong contribution to purposes even if they provide some benefit, provided this doesn't reach the "strong" threshold.

In practice, inspectors are now examining each site individually to see how it serves the Green Belt purposes, rather than making general assumptions. The "strong contribution" test is proving quite flexible - sites can fail this test even if they provide some Green Belt benefits, as long as those benefits aren't particularly strong.

Furthermore, planning inspectors are taking a practical approach to the Golden Rules, especially when it comes to affordable housing requirements for smaller developments. Most significantly, the "fundamental undermining" test sets a higher bar than the old "any harm" standard. Instead of just looking at immediate site impacts, inspectors now consider whether development would damage the Green Belt's strategic role across the entire planning area.

Rows of partially constructed red-brick houses with scaffolding and construction equipment, illustrating the reduction of Green Belt openness.

The case law journey: The evolution of planning judgement and openness

The concept of openness has been forged in the courts. Understanding this evolution is not just an academic exercise; it provides the intellectual firepower to justify a planning judgment. Inspectors reflexively cite these cases - so should you.

1. Timmins v Gedling BC (2014) – Establishing the volumetric baseline

In what now seems like a distant era, the High Court ruled that visual impact was irrelevant when gauging openness. Green J declared it "wrong in principle to arrive at a specific conclusion as to openness by reference to visual impact." This led many local planning authorities to rely on mechanistic, cubic-metre maths alone, ignoring design quality, landscape context, or the actual lived experience of the space.

2. Lee Valley RPA v Epping Forest DC (2016) – Defining appropriate development

The Court of Appeal confirmed that buildings for agriculture and forestry are deemed "appropriate" development by policy and therefore, in principle, cannot be harmful to openness. The judgment separated the black-and-white policy definition from the on-the-ground experience, with Lindblom LJ clarifying: "The concept of 'openness' here means the state of being free from built development, the absence of buildings - as distinct from the absence of visual impact."

3. Turner v SSCLG (2016) – Revolutionising openness assessment

This was the ruling that changed everything. Sales LJ, in a landmark Court of Appeal judgment, declared that openness is an “open-textured” concept that goes far beyond simple maths. He established two critical limbs for its assessment:

  • The spatial dimension: Factors relevant to how built-up the Green Belt is now and how built-up it would become.
  • The visual dimension: Factors relevant to the visual impact of the proposed development.

His memorable phrase - that Green Belts exist so "the eye and the spirit should be relieved from the prospect of unrelenting urban sprawl" - eloquently shifted the focus from arithmetic to human experience.

4. Samuel Smith Brewery v NYCC (2020) – Empowering planning judgment

The Supreme Court provided the final word, endorsing Turner while refining its application. Lord Carnwath established three key principles:

  • Openness is a broad policy concept and its assessment is quintessentially a matter of planning judgment, not a matter of law.
  • Decision-makers may consider visual impact, but are not legally required to do so in every case; its relevance depends on the specific circumstances.
  • Fundamentally, openness is the counterpart to urban sprawl.

This ruling empowers decision-makers, giving them the latitude to weigh the different aspects of openness based on the evidence before them, rather than slavishly following a rigid formula.

5. Redhill Aerodrome (2014) – Clarifying harm balancing

In a crucial clarification for cases where harm is found, the Court of Appeal confirmed that when conducting the very special circumstances (VSC) balancing act, all harm - Green Belt harm (including to openness) and any "other harm" (e.g., to landscape character, highways, or amenity) - must be placed on the negative side of the ledger. This ensures intellectual honesty in the final planning balance.

6. Mole Valley District Council v Secretary of State (2025) – Resolving the appropriateness paradox

The High Court's judgment in Mole Valley represents the most significant clarification of Green Belt openness law since Turner. The case arose from a challenge to an Inspector's decision to grant planning permission for gypsy and traveller pitches on Green Belt land, where the council had refused permission citing "visual and spatial impact on Green Belt openness."

Mr Justice Choudhury definitively resolved a fundamental question that had been troubling practitioners: whether openness can be assessed as a separate consideration for development that qualifies as 'not inappropriate' under the NPPF.

  • The Council's Failed Challenge: Mole Valley District Council argued on three grounds that the Inspector had erred, most significantly contending that even 'not inappropriate' development could still cause harm to Green Belt openness that required separate assessment. The council argued that the Lee Valley precedent (which established that appropriate development cannot harm the Green Belt) was either wrongly decided or didn't apply to the NPPF 2024.
  • The Court's Definitive Response: Mr Justice Choudhury rejected all three grounds as "unarguable," delivering a crushing defeat to attempts to undermine the Lee Valley principle. The Court's central holding was unequivocal: for development which is 'not inappropriate' (including qualifying Grey Belt sites under paragraph 155), there is no residual test of harm to openness. The Court held that to argue otherwise would undermine the long-standing policy framework that has consistently treated appropriate development as neutral in Green Belt terms.
  • The Policy Primacy Principle: The judgment establishes that the distinction between 'inappropriate' and 'not inappropriate' development is a matter of policy, not planning judgment. Once development falls into a category defined by the NPPF as 'not inappropriate', it must be treated as causing no harm to openness as a matter of law and policy. The Court specifically noted that the council's "more literal reading would negate the purpose of the exceptions and undermine the policy change introduced by NPPF 2024."
  • The Embedded Assessment Principle: The High Court clarified that the assessment of openness is not a separate, free-standing judgment to be made once development is deemed 'not inappropriate.' Rather, the preservation of openness is inherent in the definition of 'not inappropriate' development itself. The policy framework has already determined that such development preserves openness by virtue of meeting the specified criteria.
  • Practical Significance for Grey Belt: This judgment transforms the analytical framework for Grey Belt applications. The central question is not a subjective judgment of impact on openness, but a straightforward matter of policy compliance: does the development meet the criteria for 'not inappropriate' development under paragraph 155? If yes, the openness debate is legally concluded.

The Court's definitive ruling transforms Grey Belt practice from complex assessment to binary policy compliance. Once development meets the paragraph 155 tests, any openness-based refusal would constitute a legal error, not merely poor planning judgment.

This creates two distinct pathways for Green Belt development: the traditional route with its complex openness requirements, or the Grey Belt route where such assessment becomes legally irrelevant. For practitioners, Mole Valley eliminates the uncertainty that has plagued Green Belt applications—the question is no longer "will this harm openness?" but simply "does this qualify under paragraph 155?"

Local authorities can no longer rely on subjective openness concerns to refuse qualifying Grey Belt development. Such an approach would be legally unsound and vulnerable to successful challenge.

Bridge to practice: Applying case law

These cases are now the reflexive language of inspectors, but the Mole Valley judgment has fundamentally altered their application. As we will see, Inspector K Townend's Upper Austby Farm decision explicitly cites Turner for its spatial and visual limbs and Samuel Smith to justify her holistic judgment, concluding that a new, well-designed bungalow improves perceived openness compared to eight lawful shipping containers.

Viewed through the lens of the Mole Valley judgment, Inspector Townend's approach in Upper Austby becomes even more significant. While the proposal was technically "inappropriate development" (and therefore subject to openness assessment), the Inspector's methodology demonstrates the sophisticated judgment that Turner and Samuel Smith enable.

Had the Upper Austby proposal qualified as Grey Belt development under paragraph 155, the Mole Valley precedent suggests that the detailed openness assessment would have been unnecessary – the policy determination of appropriateness would have resolved the openness question as a matter of law.

This highlights the strategic importance of the Grey Belt route: it transforms complex, subjective openness debates into straightforward policy compliance exercises.

View of a village bordering open countryside with fields and wildflowers in the foreground, illustrating the visual sensitivity of Green Belt openness.

Dissecting Green Belt openness: The five-dimension assessment model

So, how do you translate these legal principles and policy bullets into a robust, evidence-based assessment? The PPG’s four-bullet test can be expanded into a practical, five-dimension model that covers every angle.

Important note: This framework applies to development that requires openness assessment. For Grey Belt development qualifying under paragraph 155, and previously developed land (PDL) development meeting the paragraph 154 tests, the Mole Valley precedent establishes that such detailed assessment is legally unnecessary – the policy determination of appropriateness resolves the openness question as a matter of law.

Dimension 1: Spatial reality

This is the quantitative core of the assessment, addressing the physical presence of development.

  • Core questions: What is the change in footprint? How does the building height evolve? What is the volume comparison? How does the pattern of development change - is it being consolidated or dispersed?
  • Winning evidence: CAD overlays showing footprint reduction/consolidation, 3D volumetric models, clear tables comparing existing and proposed site coverage percentages, and shadow studies.

Dimension 2: Visual perception

This addresses the Turner visual limb - what people will actually see and experience.

  • Core questions: What will a person see from key public viewpoints (like footpaths or roads)? How does the sense of visual openness change? Does the development block or frame important views?
  • Winning evidence: Verified Photomontages (AVRs), Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) mapping, wireline views, and studies showing seasonal variations (e.g., with and without leaf cover).

Dimension 3: Activity intensity

This captures the PPG's "degree of activity" bullet, recognising that openness is also about tranquillity.

  • Core questions: Will there be more or fewer vehicle movements? Will the operational hours change? What will be the impact of external lighting or noise?
  • Winning evidence: Transport statements using TRICS data, operational management plans, formal lighting assessments showing lux spill, and noise impact assessments.

Dimension 4: Temporal duration

This dimension considers the permanence of the impact.

  • Core questions: Is the development permanent or time-limited? What is its realistic lifespan? Are there provisions for its removal?
  • Winning evidence: Draft planning conditions specifying a temporary permission period (e.g., for a solar farm), precedent examples, and legally-binding restoration timetables.

Dimension 5: Restoration potential (remediability)

Linked to duration, this assesses whether the land can realistically be returned to an open state.

  • Core questions: Is there a credible plan to return the land to its original state or an equivalent state of openness? Who provides the guarantee for this?
  • Winning evidence: Technical decommissioning and restoration plans, financial securities (bonds), and long-term aftercare and monitoring frameworks.
Planning professionals reviewing documents at a table, engaged in assessing development impacts on Green Belt openness.

The forensic assessment framework: A step-by-step guide

A winning openness case is built on a foundation of irrefutable evidence, woven into a compelling narrative. Our advice? Follow this six-step process:

Step 1: Document the baseline

Establish the lawful planning position comprehensively. This is your factual starting point. Don't just assess the empty field; assess what could lawfully be there.

Step 2: Conduct the spatial analysis

Run the numbers. Calculate and compare the existing versus proposed footprints, volumes, and heights. Critically, map the pattern of development to show how a proposal might consolidate a scattered, messy site into a tight, coherent form.

Step 3: Undertake the visual assessment

Move from numbers to perception. Select representative public viewpoints and produce accurate, verifiable photomontages. Never forget to consider seasonal changes and the cumulative impact alongside other developments.

Step 4: Audit the activity, duration, and remediability

Quantify the change in human presence. Compare current and proposed vehicle movements and operational characteristics. For temporary schemes, detail the permission length, restoration methodology, and financial guarantees.

Step 5: Synthesise your findings

This is where analysis becomes advocacy. Weave the evidence from the five dimensions into two or three tight, plain-English paragraphs. Link the numbers to the lived experience. For example, connect a reduction in footprint (spatial) to the opening up of a key view (visual).

Step 6: Reference the Upper Austby appeal

Inspector Townend’s July 2025 decision is the perfect template. The Inspector noted the proposal was technically "inappropriate" but then concluded: "The proposal would result in the removal of the existing containers and other units. This would be beneficial to both the spatial and visual aspect of openness." This demonstrates a holistic judgment where a clear visual and spatial improvement outweighed a definitional policy breach.

Aerial view of residential development adjacent to open fields, illustrating the spatial context relevant to assessing Green Belt openness.

Application in practice: Sector-specific strategies for enhancing openness

The principles of openness apply universally, but their emphasis shifts depending on the type of development.

Previously developed land (PDL)

Under paragraph 154(g), previously developed land (PDL) redevelopment is not inappropriate, provided it does not have a greater impact on openness. The bar is high, but the path is clear.

  • Winning moves: Demolish fragmented sheds and consolidate the massing into a single, well-designed building. Quantify the reduction in footprint and hardstanding. Use design to open up long-range views that were previously blocked.

Agriculture & forestry

Post-Lee Valley, new buildings for agriculture are appropriate by definition. However, this is not a free pass.

  • Key considerations: The need for the building must be genuinely for agriculture. Its siting, design, and materials still matter immensely to its visual impact. The size must be proportionate to the established need.

Residential development

  • Replacement dwellings: Focus on redistribution, not just volume. Replacing a sprawling, single-storey dwelling with a compact, well-sited, two-storey house can dramatically enhance both spatial and visual openness, even if the total volume increases slightly.
  • Rural worker dwellings: The "essential need" test remains paramount. Success hinges on demonstrating that need and minimising impact by clustering the new dwelling with existing farm buildings.
  • New housing: Outside of specific exceptions, new housing is inappropriate. The only routes are via a successful very special circumstances case or, now, by meeting the stringent tests for Grey Belt land.

 Renewable energy

Solar farms and wind turbines are often controversial. Their success on openness grounds leans heavily on the final two dimensions of our model.

  • The argument: Emphasise the time-limited permission (typically 25-40 years) and the legally-binding restoration plan secured by a bond. Argue that the low operational activity and potential for biodiversity enhancement between panels result in a limited impact that is entirely reversible.

Case study in focus: Upper Austby Farm, Ilkley (July 2025)

This appeal decision is a masterclass in contemporary openness assessment. The Inspector, K Townend, allowed a new bungalow on the basis that it improved openness compared to the lawful baseline of eight large shipping containers.

 

Inspector Townend’s Finding

Practitioner’s Notes

A lawful development certificate confirmed the right to site eight shipping containers (Use Class B8) on the land.

The baseline is the ugly reality, not a pristine field. This is the crucial starting point for the comparison.

The proposed new bungalow is defined as "inappropriate development" in the Green Belt. However, it results in a footprint reduction of 730m².

The spatial ledger starts with a massive credit. The definitional harm is acknowledged but immediately countered by a tangible spatial benefit.

The new building's mass "reads as a coherent rural building," whereas the lawful containers would inject an "industrial character and colour."

Visual perception trumps abstract numbers. A slightly taller but well-designed building is judged visually preferable to lower, scattered industrial clutter.

Activity levels would fall significantly. Lawful HGV movements for the container business would vanish, replaced by minor domestic traffic.

The PPG’s activity bullet is explicitly addressed and scores as a major positive for the proposal.

The definitional harm was outweighed by the substantial benefits, including the significant improvement to openness. Very special circumstances were found.

The Redhill ledger in action. All benefits were weighed against the harm, and the benefits clearly won.

Inspector Townend’s reasoning directly mirrors Turner ("spatial and visual aspects") and cites Samuel Smith to justify making a holistic, evidence-based planning judgment. This decision is now a powerful precedent for schemes that swap lawful, unsightly clutter for high-quality, consolidated design.

Man relaxing indoors with open countryside visible through large windows, reflecting residential integration with perceptions of Green Belt openness.

The "Grey Belt" opportunity: A new frontier for development

The introduction of Grey Belt land in the 2024 NPPF is the most significant strategic shift in Green Belt policy in decades. It creates a new pathway for development that avoids the high bar of very special circumstances.

How Grey Belt mechanics work

The route via NPPF paragraph 155 requires satisfying four cumulative tests:

  • Grey Belt status: The site must be identified as Grey Belt, meaning it does not make a strong contribution to Green Belt purposes (a) sprawl prevention, (b) merger prevention, or (d) preserving historic settings.
  • Unmet need: There must be demonstrable unmet need for the proposed development (e.g., a housing shortfall below a 5-year supply).
  • Sustainable location: The site must be in a sustainable location with good access to services and transport.
  • Golden Rules: The proposal must meet specific requirements for benefits - known as the Green Belt Golden Rules -  such as significant green space provision and affordable housing (with early guidance suggesting 40-50% affordable housing may be required).

If a scheme passes these gateways, it is not inappropriate development. The crucial consequence, confirmed in Footnote 55, is that the automatic "substantial weight" against the proposal is removed. The assessment becomes a standard planning balance under section 38(6).

How openness is tested differently on Grey Belt sites

This policy shift creates a two-tier system for assessing openness. The key question for a Grey Belt site is not whether there is any harm to openness, but whether the harm is so significant that it "fundamentally undermines" the purpose of the remaining Green Belt in the area.

Traditional Green Belt Assessment Grey Belt Assessment
Starting presumption: "Substantial weight" given to any harm to openness (NPPF p153). Starting presumption: No automatic substantial weight against harm if gateway tests are met (NPPF p155, fn 55).
Balancing test: Benefits must "clearly outweigh" the harm (very special circumstances). Balancing test: A standard planning balance under s.38(6) of the 1990 Act.
Focus of report: Proving VSC to overcome harm to openness. Focus of report: Showing that any harm to openness does not cross the "fundamental undermining" threshold, and highlighting scheme benefits.

Grey Belt playbook: A case study in enhancing openness

Here’s how we have applied this framework to one of our Grey Belt projects at Urbanist Architecture.

  • The site: A 0.35 ha tarmac car park next to a disused pub. It's washed over by the Green Belt but has been classified as Grey Belt because it is previously developed, making only a limited contribution to purposes (a), (b) or (d).
  • The proposal: Nine two-storey houses in a courtyard arrangement, with the creation of a new, high-quality, and publicly accessible recreational open space with a new public pocket park.

Step 1: The gateway checklist

  • Unmet need: The local authority has a 3.4-year housing land supply. The scheme delivers family homes.
  • Sustainable location: The site is a 650m walk from a primary school and a regular bus route.
  • Golden Rules: The scheme provides the creation of a meadow swale to deliver a significant biodiversity net gain, while the integrated sustainable drainage system (SuDS).

Step 2: The openness appraisal (why harm isn't "fundamental")

Dimension

Assessment

Spatial

Existing: 100% hard surface cover. Height of 0m (excluding parked vehicles).

Proposed: 42% building/hardstanding cover. 8.2m ridge height, consolidated centrally.

Net Position & Justification: Positive – Spread shrinks dramatically. Height is introduced, but its impact is limited by tight, consolidated massing.

Visual

Existing: Glare from tarmac. Cluttered views of parked vans from a public right of way.

Proposed: High-quality brick and slate design echoing the village vernacular. A new 3m landscape buffer frames views over the new park to the fields beyond

Net Position & Justification: Strongly positive – The visual experience is transformed from derelict clutter to a curated, landscaped edge.

Activity

Existing: Peak of 60 vehicle movements on a Saturday.

Proposed: Estimated 45 daily trips, managed through a private home-zone.

Net Position & Justification: Positive – A slight fall in total movements, with the noise profile becoming less episodic and intrusive.

Duration

Existing: Permanent hard-surfacing.

Proposed: Permanent dwellings.

Net Position & Justification: Neutral.

Remediability

Existing: Tarmac could be removed.

Proposed: Houses are permanent.

Net Position & Justification: Minor negative – This is the trade-off, but it's mitigated by the permanent public benefit of the new open space.

Step 3: The clinching design tactics

  • Massing: We have arranged the new houses in a courtyard hugging the northern boundary, leaving the entire southern aspect open to create the pocket park and preserve long views.
  • Articulation: We intentionally kept varied ridge lines below the canopy of surrounding mature trees.
  • Landscaping: We have proposed a 1.2m high native hawthorn hedge filters views without creating a visual barrier. The park includes a grass swale that doubles as a SuDS basin, adding visual interest.
  • Benefits locked in: A S106 agreement secures public access to the park and its long-term maintenance. Permitted development rights for extensions are removed to protect the carefully designed roofscape.
Design team reviewing site layout plans in a meeting, focusing on considerations related to Green Belt openness.

An extract from our assessment of impact on Green Belt openness

"[...] This development represents exemplary Green Belt practice, demonstrating how sophisticated design and landscape restoration can deliver openness enhancement while meeting housing need and providing community benefits. The comprehensive openness assessment confirms that the proposal enhances rather than harms the fundamental qualities that Green Belt designation exists to protect.

This assessment has demonstrated not only that the proposal delivers a tangible enhancement to the spatial and visual aspects of openness, but establishes a clear evidential foundation showing measurable improvements across all dimensions of the Turner framework. The quantified reduction in hard surfacing by 16.61%, the creation of 2,022 sqm of publicly accessible pocket park, and the replacement of industrial car parking with vernacular village architecture collectively represent a transformational improvement to both the spatial and visual character of this Green Belt site.

Crucially, the policy context for this assessment has evolved significantly with the introduction of the NPPF 2024. As demonstrated exhaustively throughout this assessment, the proposal meets the three gateway tests for development on 'Grey Belt' land set out in Paragraph 155 of the NPPF and is consequently not 'inappropriate development' in the Green Belt. This represents a paradigm shift from the traditional 'any harm' approach to the more pragmatic threshold of whether a proposal would 'fundamentally undermine' the Green Belt.

More fundamentally, the proposal qualifies as 'not inappropriate' development under the NPPF 2024. In line with the authoritative High Court judgment in Mole Valley District Council v Secretary of State [2025] EWHC 2127 (Admin), this means that as a matter of policy, the development is considered not to be harmful to the openness of the Green Belt. The Mole Valley precedent establishes that once development meets the criteria for being 'not inappropriate,' the question of openness is resolved as a matter of law and policy, not subjective planning judgment.

As clarified by Footnote 55 of the NPPF 2024, the automatic 'substantial weight' against the development is not engaged for qualifying Grey Belt sites. This enables the Local Planning Authority to conduct an ordinary planning balance, weighing the scheme on its merits without the punitive presumption that applies to inappropriate development.

The contrary view expressed by the planning officers in their pre-application advice is based on a clear misreading of national policy and is inconsistent with binding legal precedent. The officers' approach of treating openness as a separate test for development that is, by policy, 'not inappropriate' constitutes precisely the legal error that the Mole Valley judgment sought to correct. A refusal of planning permission on the grounds of harm to Green Belt openness would therefore be unreasonable and legally unsound.

Therefore, the application should be approved as an exemplar of how the new Grey Belt provisions can deliver sustainable development that enhances openness, provides much-needed housing, and creates lasting community benefits squarely within the modern Green Belt framework. The proposal represents not merely compliance with policy requirements, but a demonstration of how thoughtful design and landscape restoration can achieve genuine enhancement to Green Belt character while addressing critical housing need.

The comprehensive evidence presented in this assessment establishes that approval would be consistent with national policy, supported by binding legal precedent, and would deliver tangible benefits to both the Green Belt and the local community. Any alternative conclusion would require the Local Planning Authority to adopt a position that is demonstrably inconsistent with the NPPF 2024 and contrary to authoritative High Court guidance. [...]"

From theory to submission: Your essential assessment checklist

Before finalising any Green Belt planning application, it is vital to test the robustness of your case on Green Belt openness. This final review translates the complex principles of planning judgement, as required by the Supreme Court in Samuel Smith, into a practical acid test. 

The following checklist distills the entire assessment framework, from quantifying the spatial and visual aspects of openness to evidencing how you are enhancing openness, into five critical questions. 

A confident 'yes' to each is the hallmark of a defensible submission, ready to withstand scrutiny and effectively counter claims of harm to openness, whether you are arguing for very special circumstances or proceeding under the Grey Belt land policy.

  • Lawful Baseline: Is the existing lawful baseline of the site fully documented and evidenced, for instance with a Lawful Development Certificate (CLEUD)?
  • Spatial Impact: Has the spatial impact been clearly quantified, showing changes in footprint, volume, and spread?
  • Visual Impact: Has the visual impact been professionally assessed from representative public viewpoints, using tools like Verified Photomontages (AVRs)?
  • Wider Impacts: Have the crucial secondary factors of activity levels, duration, and remediability been properly addressed and evidenced?
  • Synthesis: Is all the evidence synthesised into a compelling, plain-English justification that connects the technical data to the lived experience of openness?

The trajectory of recent case law points towards one clear conclusion, a principle that directly shapes our work as Green Belt architects and planning consultants: A demonstrable improvement to the visual and spatial aspects of openness now carries more weight than rigid, outdated assessments. 

A robust case, as confirmed by the checklist, answers the technical questions of impact; high-quality design then addresses the qualitative experience. It is the primary tool for mitigating any residual visual harm and for delivering the tangible betterment that can transform a defensible planning application into a truly compelling one.

Team in discussion around planning documents and aerial imagery, exploring design approaches that consider Green Belt openness.

Design in the Green Belt: Strategies for mitigation and best practice

Excellent design cannot make an inappropriate scheme appropriate, but it can be the decisive factor in borderline cases by mitigating harm and delivering tangible betterment.

Architectural and landscape strategies

  • Fragment mass: Break down large volumes into smaller, linked elements to reduce perceived bulk.
  • Use topography: Cut buildings into slopes rather than placing them on ridgelines.
  • Recessive materials: Employ natural, local materials like timber, stone, and slate that weather and blend into the landscape.
  • Go native: Use native species for hedgerows and planting to soften the development edge. A 1.2m hedge maintains a sense of enclosure while allowing views over the top.
  • Embrace the dark: Design "dark-sky friendly" lighting schemes with full cut-off luminaires, warm colour temperatures (max 3000K), and motion-sensor controls. This is now a significant factor in many rural areas.

Professional best practice checklists

  • For consultants: When advising on a Grey Belt site, provide a two-stage assessment: first, confirm its qualification as Grey Belt based on the purpose scores; second, benchmark the proposal against the "fundamental harm" threshold.
  • For developers: Commission baseline studies (like a CLEUD) before site acquisition. Design with openness as a primary constraint from day one, not an afterthought.
  • For architects: Think in 4D. Consider how the building will look from key viewpoints through all four seasons. Design for visual permeability.
  • For local authorities: Develop clear SPD guidance on how you interpret openness locally. Train planning committee members on the difference between spatial and visual impact to avoid a return to simple volume calculations.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Pitfall Symptom and Remedy
Applying the wrong test

Symptom: Arguing "very special circumstances" on a Grey Belt site, or vice-versa.

Remedy: Use the correct terminology. For Grey Belt, state that the scheme "would not fundamentally undermine openness" and reference NPPF footnote 55.

Ignoring the baseline

Symptom: Comparing your proposal to a green field when the site has a lawful use for something ugly, like scrap storage.

Remedy: Establish the lawful baseline with a certificate first. Frame your proposal as an improvement on that baseline, not the idealised field.

The "landscaping will fix it" fallacy

Symptom: Proposing a huge building and assuming a dense screen of trees will make the spatial harm disappear.

Remedy: Be honest. Landscaping can soften visual impact, but it cannot mitigate spatial harm. Acknowledge the spatial impact and focus on how you have minimised it through careful siting and massing.

New home under construction at sunset within a green landscape, representing managed change in the context of Green Belt openness.

Mastering the art and science of Green Belt openness

The landscape of Green Belt openness has been transformed beyond recognition. From the rigid volumetrics of Timmins through the dual-dimension framework of Turner to the policy primacy established in Mole Valley, we have witnessed a complete evolution in legal thinking.

The introduction of Grey Belt provisions creates an alternative pathway that bypasses traditional openness assessment entirely. For qualifying sites, the complex spatial and visual analysis that has dominated Green Belt practice becomes legally irrelevant – replaced by straightforward policy compliance tests.

This represents both opportunity and challenge. Practitioners who master the Grey Belt framework can deliver development that would have been impossible under the traditional approach. But those who continue to apply outdated methodologies risk missing the strategic advantages that the new framework provides.

The five-dimension assessment model remains crucial for traditional Green Belt applications, but the Mole Valley precedent demands that we first ask the fundamental question: is this development 'not inappropriate' under paragraph 155? If the answer is yes, the openness debate is over before it begins.

For landowners, architects, and planning professionals, this new paradigm offers unprecedented opportunities to deliver sustainable development in Green Belt locations. The key is understanding which analytical pathway applies to your specific proposal and deploying the appropriate methodology with precision and confidence.

The paradox of Green Belt openness has been resolved: it's not about complex calculations or subjective judgments, but about understanding the policy framework and applying it correctly. Master this distinction, and you master the modern Green Belt.

Two architects reviewing design materials and site plans, considering how proposals relate to Green Belt openness.

How Urbanist Architecture can help

We believe that it is in the nature of things that many hard problems are best solved when they are addressed backward. While the concept of inversion has been applied mostly to mathematics, the model is one of the most powerful in our toolkit for formulating planning and design strategies for complex planning cases.

That’s why, when we take on a Green Belt project, we begin by drafting the refusal letter we never want to receive. Setting out every policy reason the scheme could be turned down — loss of openness, landscape harm, inadequate very special circumstances — exposes the exact places where the design must work hardest. 

Each identified risk then directs a design response: volumes are set low to preserve baselines, building lines follow existing hedgerows, habitat corridors are drawn first and architecture follows, and transport measures are woven into the site layout rather than appended later.

By the time the application is submitted, objections have been pre-empted, consultees are onside, and the determination often feels inevitable. And, if it goes to appeal, our evidence is already written.

If you believe your project would benefit from an inversion-led, design-first approach built to satisfy policy tests upfront, we’d be glad to discuss how we can help.

Ufuk Bahar, Founder and Managing Director of Urbanist Architecture
AUTHOR

Ufuk Bahar

Urbanist Architecture’s founder and managing director, Ufuk Bahar BA(Hons), MA, takes personal charge of our larger projects, focusing particularly on Green Belt developments, new-build flats and housing, and high-end full refurbishments.

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