Green belt land 'should be sold for housing'

A leading industry figure has said that green belt land should be sold off to housebuilders who would then be able to provide affordable housing to first time buyers.

David Pretty, the former head of Barratt Developments, has suggested that some green belt land is needed on top of existing brown belt sites in order to meet demand.

Smaller application should be fast-tracked in the short term in order to help ease the delay in supply, Mr Pretty added, according to the Contract Journal.

"Most of our housing need can be met from brown belt but we will need some greenfield released and the scruffy bits could be considered for this," Mr Pretty advised, according to the journal.

"First time buyers are in a far worse situation than earlier generations – they really are the new poor. Now it is time for action, with government, housebuilders and local communities each playing their full part," Mr Pretty added.


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