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The approach taken by Warwick District Council towards the review of Green Belt boundaries to accommodate development within the plan period accords with the previous PPG2 'Green Belts' and the NPPF. The NPPF states that "Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances, through the preparation or review of a Local Plan. At that time, authorities should consider the Green Belt boundaries having regard to their intended permanence in the long term so that they should be capable of enduring beyond the plan period."

The Plan acknowledges that the preferred option for housing (approximately 600 dwellings pa) will need to be met largely on strategic greenfield sites on the edge of the built-up areas (which will be predominantly existing Green Belt) and within/or on the edge of some villages to allow for a hierarchy of growth in the rural area.

The National Trust has some concern about removing villages from the Green Belt and then drawing entirely new Green Belt boundaries around the settlements to allow for development, rather than simply amending the existing boundary to accommodate urban/village extensions, which would be less disruptive. Redrawing boundaries may increase pressures from developers to also accommodate 'Safeguarded Land' in addition to extensions. There is also a danger that if villages are removed from the Green Belt, they may not be re-designated and would then need to be protected by other development management policies, as referenced in NPPF Para 86.

The Trust would wish to be involved in any discussions about the designation of new boundaries in the vicinity of its properties.