Green belt 'not disappearing'

The green belt has actually increased by roughly 65,000 acres over the past ten years despite fears that it is being eroded by house building projects, the New Homes Marketing Board (NHMB) has said.

The board has commissioned a study designed to debunk some of the myths surrounding the construction of homes, and claims that many are still labouring under false impressions despite realising that the housing shortage was a major national issue.

The research found that 71 per cent of Britons believe that the amount of green belt land in Britain has decreased over the past decade.

"People really do now recognise that we have a housing crisis, are understandably worried by it and seem to accept that urgent action must be taken to address it," said NHMB chairman David Pretty.

"But when it comes to the detail, significant numbers of people still buy into the hoary old myths about the green belt and countryside disappearing under concrete and builders landbanking, and many more are confused or unsure about the implications for themselves, their communities and the nation," Mr Pretty added.

The study comes shortly after the publication of the Calcutt Review, which found that the government's ambitious house building targets were achievable.

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