Wakefield District Local Plan went through examination in relation to the NPPF 2019, so we provided the Planning Inspector a note which provided options for specific Green Belt compensatory improvements in association with the allocation sites to be removed from the Green Belt. Site promoters proposed some specifics and agreed their sites would still be viable with Green Belt compensatory improvements. Where site promoters did not have land within their control remaining in the Green Belt, the Council also proposed a range of strategic off-site locations in the Green Belt, which could be assessed for their improvement need when a planning application came in on the related allocation. Both the Council and site promoters expect Green Belt compensatory improvements will be fully investigated and finalised through the planning application process, and where appropriate to the size of the site, masterplanning.
Now with an adopted plan, we are grappling, in relation to planning applications, as to what financially is an appropriate section 106 contribution towards improvements towards Council owned land or routes in/into the Green Belt. How do we quantify between the loss of a piece of Green Belt and an appropriate financial level of compensatory improvement? How have other local planning authorities worked through this issue?
