Greenfield Development Looms in UK

50 years ago, the United Kingdom created policy that banned development around its metropolitan areas to preserve agricultural land and undeveloped countryside. These circular areas, known as Green Belt land, are continually under threat, despite the Campaign to Protect Rural England's attempts to save and maintain it. However, foes of the protection of Green Belt land call for its end. Dan Lewis, a writer for the Centre for the New Europe, asserts that preserving this land hurts the economic vitality of the UK, and will ultimately lead to a poorer and less biodiverse nation. Lewis calls the Green belt "one of the greatest environmental planning disasters of all time."

Comments

[Rafeek Mohamed]

I just wanted to say that this issue brings two clear qualities in competition, tradition and profit. This is a major problem not only in the UK, but also in the US. I have been studying Economics in Geneva, NY, for the past 2 years and have travelled to Romania, Germany and Hungary within the past few months and I beg to say that the answer lies within the Community. In Romania, I spoke to many people who said that building a "site" anywhere in the rural area would be beneficial to them AND the companies(employment. roads etc.), but in Hungary, the history matters more than development to the many Hungarians I spoke to. I think that a vital point in considering the effects of brownfielding and clearly greenfielding should entail the community values! and not the profit hoping economic developer, or govenor/ministry.
Rafeek '08
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY 14456
USA