Minister rejects report of traveller sites risk to green belt
Local Government Minister rejects a report in The Telegraph that the provision of authorised traveller sites will threaten the green belt.
The report was based on a consultation last year in which some consultees raised this concern but, contrary to the report which does not make this clear, the government does not accept these concerns. In fact the government changed the law so that local planning authorities have a duty to work together.
Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis said:
“This story is misleading. This government has increased planning protection for the green belt and open countryside through national planning guidance and given greater weight to the protection of local amenities and the local environment. We have also increased councils’ powers to tackle unauthorised sites, and provided additional funding to councils to provide new authorised pitches which have community support.”