The Reg.18 Plan states that there is a potential capacity for 2,824 homes in the Green Belt. The Reg.18 Plan rightly states that the Metropolitan Green Belt aims to stop the outward growth of Greater London into the surrounding countryside, towns and villages. Alterations to the Green Belt require exceptional circumstances.

The subject site, Land North of Rede Court (Site ID: SNF1) is identified as part of Green Belt release. The site specific Landscape, Visual and Green Belt Appraisal submitted with these representations provide the details of why exceptional circumstances exist to release this site from the Green Belt. More broadly, the Green Belt sites further south in the District, as identified in the Reg.18 Plan, can be argued to greater serve the Green Belt’s purposes. These include; to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another; and assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. In addition, most of this land
is in the vicinity of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which has the highest status of protection under the NPPF. Some of these sites are also highlighted as not suitable for housing in the Council’s Land Availability Assessment (2023).