In October 2024, we submitted written evidence to The House of Lords Built Environment Committee inquiry into the Grey Belt in England. This response was shaped by volunteers to our Chartered Environmentalist led Soils and Stones project.
To fully embrace the importance of soils in all decision making under the Town and Country Planning Act, it is important to first appreciate soil... Appropriately managing soils in all construction activities is essential to reduce the amount of waste soil discarded and protect this essential resource.
From the SocEnv response
The response focuses on the questions most relevant to our expertise and activity, relating to:
- The Government’s definition of “Grey Belt”.
- The role of local authorities.
- Measures to support the potential decontamination of Grey Belt land.
Among other asks, our response calls for the implementation of a national policy to harmonise legislation, regulation, best practice guidance and monitoring programmes to protect soils.
Read our full response below.
SocEnv consultation response - strengthening planning policy for brownfield development
