The North East Green Belt, also known as the Tyne & Wear Green Belt, is a non-statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates the rural space in part of the North East region of England. It is centred on the county of Tyne and Wear,[1][2][3][4] with areas of green belt extending into Northumberland[5] and County Durham.[6] It functions to protect surrounding towns and villages outside the Tyneside/Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wearside/Sunderland conurbations from further convergence.[7] This is managed by local planning authorities on guidance from central government.
Geography
The green belt's area is 98,550 hectares (985.5 km2; 380.5 sq mi) as of 2023,[8] and is on the fringes of the Tyne & Wear conurbations, with a line of protected area separating South Tyneside from Sunderland. The main coverage of the area however, is within Northumberland, with tracts in northern County Durham, notably surrounding the city of Durham completely. A large increase to its present extent was made in 2022 when Northumberland added 26,790 hectares (267.9 km2; 103.4 sq mi).[9]
Much of the boundary is formed by local roads and land features such as rivers. The western extent reaches 25 miles away from Newcastle, beyond Hexham and towards Haydon Bridge, becoming contiguous with the North Pennines AONB and close to the Northumberland National Park. Due to the green belt lying across county borders, responsibility and co-ordination lies with several unitary councils as these are the local planning authorities.
See also
References
- ^ "Planning for the Future Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan for Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne 2010-2030 Adopted March 2015" (PDF). www.newcastle.gov.uk.
- ^ "North Tyneside Council Green Belt Review October 2015" (PDF). my.northtyneside.gov.uk.
- ^ "South Tyneside Green Belt and Landscape Background Paper September 2012" (PDF). www.southtyneside.gov.uk.
- ^ "SUNDERLAND GREEN BELT REVIEW STAGE 1 – CORE STRATEGY GROWTH OPTIONS STAGE, MARCH 2016" (PDF). www.sunderland.gov.uk.
- ^ "Northumberland Local Plan Core Strategy - Full draft plan Draft for Policy Board - 27 November 2014" (PDF). www.nandnsociety.org.
- ^ Collinson, Rachel. "The creation of the North Durham Green Belt". planninghelp.cpre.org.uk.
- ^ Fawcett, Tony. "Green Belts: A greener future - Campaign to Protect Rural England". Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "Local authority green belt: England 2022-23 - statistical release". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Local authority green belt: England 2021-22 - statistical release". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
