This picture has just been leaked to the newspapers:

• Write a headline that will go with the front page article.

Pressure to buildis the countryside in

crisis?

New homes needed…

• Quote from the government in 1995: ‘there needs to be 4.4 million new houses built between 1991 and 2016’ since then, the number has been increased to 5 million. Since then only 2 million have been built

• Where are these new homes being built?

Where are the new homes built?

Green belt landGreenfield land Brownfield sites

Greenfield land is land that has never been built on before. It may have always been farmland, or woodland.

Greenbelt land is land that has certain planning restrictions. You are not allowed to build on the land unless it is for recreation

Brownfield sites are places that have been built on before but are no longer used, for example old factories. These are either converted into houses, or knocked down for housing to be built

• What are they for?– Greenbelts were set up

about 50 years ago. – When large towns and

cities were then urbanising, town planners were worried about the spread of urban areas and the threat that they may ‘eat up’ the surrounding rural village communities

• This map shows all of the Greenbelt land in Britain

Green belts

What are the aims of Green Belts?

• There are strict rules about building on the Green Belt.

• The two main aims of Green Belts are to:– Stop the outward growth of cities by

restricting the building of factories, roads and houses

– Leave the area around the cities free for farming and recreation.

Are they working?• This map shows that they

are not really fulfilling their aims.

• Developers will pay council very large sums of money to be allowed to build on green belt areas- as they know that people want to live in these nice areas.

• However they have definitely worked to slow down the urban sprawl in some areas

• Problem: ‘Leapfrogging’!

Housing demand close to home…

• Do you recognise this area…?

• The rural land around Cambridge is under immense pressure to build housing on

A rural area under pressure

• In 1996, the county of Wiltshire required 60,000 more homes by 2016.

• This was necessary for the local economy to continue to grow and attract new businesses

• The economic growth was already attracting people- who need somewhere to live!

Building in wiltshire

• Local authorities do not actually build houses, but they do control building in terms of allowing planning permission for new buildings.

• Wiltshire local authority has 3 main priorities:1. Balance likely employment growth and the projected

growth in the working population (what does this mean?)

2. Reduce commuting flows (why?)3. Concentrate new housing in the areas that are most

self-contained- those that already have services like schools and shops

• Where does the new housing get built?

Building in wiltshire• WHY:

– Population has steadily increased, encouraged by an increase in new housing and economic opportunities

– Chippenham the largest of the 6 main towns is 75 minutes away from London

• WHAT IS IT LIKE THERE?– At the moment 81% of the land use is rural although

only 19% of the population lives in the rural areas– 60% of North Wiltshire's total population live in 6 main

towns• WHERE WILL NEW HOMES BE BUILT?

– Government policies encourage the use of Brownfield sites

– Since 1996 North Wiltshire has had 44% built on these sites however 56% have been built on Greenfield sites