Green Belt Planning policy

The national policy position can be found at Green Belt - GOV.UK. Green Belt is subject to a high level of protection against development, however some existing Green Belt may now be identified as grey belt land which in some circumstances can be suitable for development. Development proposed on land identified as grey belt would not automatically be considered acceptable and would generally need to meet the ‘golden rules’. These rules require grey belt developments to increase provision of affordable housing, provide necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure; and provide new or improved green spaces that are publicly accessible.

While the Government have now introduced grey belt into planning policy, the Mayor of London has commissioned a London-wide Green Belt review, which is expected to identify grey belt sites across London. We are expecting this review to be published with the revised draft London Plan anticipated for mid-2026. Grey belt land can also be identified in other ways including on appeal by the Planning Inspector, which would then need to be considered for future applications on such sites.

All Local Planning Authorities offer a planning pre-application advice service, the idea of which is to help applicants get their proposals into the best shape they can be before making a formal planning application. Before submitting an application - GOV.UK. This advice is given confidentially in order to ensure that third parties do not unfairly benefit from advice paid for by the applicant and so applicants can informally explore potential options on a site. Such advice is not legally binding and is given without prejudice to the outcome of any application submitted.

Public involvement in the planning process is set out in our Statement of Community Involvement. For major applications, applicants are encouraged to carry out their own consultation before submitting an application. We would encourage submissions to be made after an application has been submitted to the council in response to the formal consultation so that they can be considered in the decision-making process.

Once we receive a formal application and it is validated, all of the documents will be available to view on our public application register. For a major application, such as those for 21 or more new dwellings, validation can take a number of weeks as there are a large number of documents required and the council must ensure that these have all been correctly received. We recommend submitting comments only after an application has been received, as that will ensure that we can consider your comments in the determination of that specific application.

Planning decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan for the area. For Bromley this constitutes the National Planning Policy Framework, the London Plan, and the Bromley Local Plan. In addition, comments received on the application including those from consultees such as the Highway Authority as well as from members of the public are a material planning consideration.

All applications are initially assessed by the council’s Planning Department. Where these are major significant applications, such as those for 21 or more new dwellings, they are then referred to a planning committee for a decision by the elected councillors who sit on these committees. Most minor applications are determined directly by the council’s Planning Department, but they can be ‘called in’ by councillors to then be decided by a planning committee in the same process as significant applications.

If the application is refused, the applicant can appeal against a refusal of permission. Appeals are made to the Planning Inspectorate which is a separate nationwide body. More information about appeals can be found at Appeals - GOV.UK.

There are also ‘call in’ powers held by the Mayor of London What powers does the Mayor have for planning applications? | London City Hall and the Secretary of State Called-in planning applications - GOV.UK for significant applications. This means either could take the decision out of the hands of the council before a decision is made if they consider this appropriate.

Significant developments do require an EIA and these will be published on the council's planning register. Any decision regarding the scope of an EIA would be made in accordance with the appropriate legislation, policy and guidance: Environmental Impact Assessment - GOV.UK

With regard to the requirement for a 5-year housing supply, Bromley currently has a 1.93 year supply. Because this is significantly less than 5 years, this does mean that in taking planning decisions additional weight has to be given in favour of developments which will contribute to that supply. However, other relevant factors are still considered when deciding on an application. Authority monitoring reports and housing trajectory.

The council continues to encourage developers to redevelop existing brownfield land rather than Green Belt sites.

Land at Rookery Estates – Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Application - Planning Application: 25/05379/OTH

Pimlico Wood, Biggin Hill - EIA Scoping Opinion (Decision Made) - Planning Application: 25/04769/OTH

Land South of Burrfield Drive, Waldens Road, Orpington - EIA Scoping Opinion (Decision Made) - Planning Application: 25/01368/EIA

Land South of Burrfield Drive, Waldens Road, Orpington - EIA Screening Opinion (Decision Made) - Planning Application: 24/04376/EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Applications is an early stage in the Planning process, where developers essentially ask the council which areas need to be covered for an EIA application, which would need to be completed in parallel to a Planning Application. This process is generally only applicable for major significant applications, such as those for 21 or more new dwellings.