The net changes, by region, in the areas of designated green belt are set out in the following table. The 2003 figures for London and south-east include 47,300 hectares of green belt in New Forest district council and Test Valley borough council which were re-designated as New Forest National Park in 2005. Leaving aside the New Forest there was an overall national increase in green belt land of about 7,500 hectares between 2003 and 2006. It is the responsibility of planning authorities to establish or review green belt boundaries through the plan making process.
Region 2003 area 2006 area Change Percentage change North-east 66,300 71,910 5,580 8.41 North-west 260,610 260,310 -300 -0.12 Yorkshire and the Humber 262,640 264,930 2,290 0.87 East Midlands 79,520 78,900 -620 -0.78 West Midlands 269,140 269,256 116 0.04 East Anglia 26,690 26,302 -388 -1.45 London/wider south-east (excluding New Forest) 553,170 553,886 716 0.12 South-west 106,180 106,330 150 0.14 England1 (excluding New Forest) 1,624,280 1,631,824 7,544 0.45 1 In 2005, the green belt land in New Forest DC and Test Valley BC (47,300 hectares) was designated as part of New Forest National Park. The 2003 figure excludes this figure for true comparison.
National planning policies on green belts, as set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 2 (PPG2), are essentially unchanged from those published in 1995.
Green belt boundaries are determined in plans drawn up by local planning authorities. Government policy in PPG2 states that changes to boundaries should be made only in exceptional circumstances when those plans are being reviewed.
The Government are committed to the principles of the green belt and will make no fundamental change to planning policy as set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 2.