Green Belts cover one tenth of England and are an official planning designation to prevent urban sprawl. But, given that the Green Belt is the countryside next door to 30 million people in some of our largest towns and cities, they are also so much more than this. They provide a unique opportunity to enhance and restore natural spaces that are accessible to millions of people, offering not just benefits for wildlife, but for the health and well-being of us all.
The Green Belt also offers a vital resource in the mitigation of, and adaptation to, the climate emergency, such as through wetland creation and woodland planting. The provision of these and other natural capital offer excellent value for money in Green Belt due to its close proximity to people, as well as its long-term designation. Improving how we manage agricultural land in the Green Belt could also have major benefits to creating sustainable food networks and supporting local farmers.
While not primarily designated for nature, Green Belts offer good opportunities for conservation. Important wildlife habitats most in need of conservation, known as ‘Priority Habitats’, already cover 13% of all Green Belt land, or approximately 207,000 ha. Almost a fifth of all the deciduous woodland in England, which supports some of our most iconic and much-loved species, can be found in Green Belts.
Enhancing and restoring habitats in the Green Belt is crucial if we are to create landscapes that are better for nature. Focused investment and long-term, collaborative management are needed to create more, better and more-joined up wildlife habitat and spaces for people. This way, Green Belts could play a vital role in landscape-scale conservation initiatives such as Nature Recovery Networks.
Green Belts also offer people vital and easy access to nature, and 13% of Green Belt land is given over to recreational areas. Almost half of all the Country Parks in England are found in Green Belts, along with a third of all Local Nature Reserves. Green Belts also have a high proportion of England’s Public Rights of Way as well as one third of Community Forests. While some of it may be scruffy and currently have little value to people, much of this space is used and loved.
And the wider public value the Green Belt too. In a recent survey commissioned by CPRE, the countryside charity, 60% of people said they would be more likely to vote for a political party that wants to protect and enhance the countryside, including Green Belts.
Green Belts also contain a large proportion of our agricultural land, and farmers and land-owners that manage this are stewards of our countryside. We must support them to make these spaces better for nature and more accessible to people through Environmental Land Management Systems that reward the delivery of public goods. This will contribute to nature conservation and help to create sustainable, thriving communities in and around our Green Belts.
In some areas of our Green Belts, local authorities, communities and environmental charities have already come together to deliver conservation that has provided major benefits to people and nature. For instance, the Mersey Forest, half of which is in the Green Belt around Liverpool, Warrington, Chester, Formby and Northwich, is managed by a partnership of seven local authorities along with Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Environment Agency and the local Community Forest Trust. One site within the forest was transformed from derelict industrial wasteland into a thriving woodland that is rich in wildlife and local heritage, and nine sites have been linked to provide 28 km of off-road walking, cycling and horse-riding.
So one thing is clear - more must be done to realise the full benefits of our Green Belts. We need to prioritise natural capital investment in these areas, where social and economic returns are high and environmental gains can be maximised. We must also develop and implement long-term, collaborative management plans that put nature and people to the fore; and we must promote Green Belts so they are more accessible, more sustainable, and more beneficial, for us all.
Rebecca Pullinger is the Land Use Campaigns and Policy Officer at CPRE. The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Bright Blue.