Public urged to demand green belt protection

Doncaster Council is currently updating its main planning policy which it calls the core strategy. It sets out the overall plan of development in the borough for the next 15 years.

According to the South Yorkshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the document will also determine what happens with regard to Doncaster's green belt.

CPRE South Yorkshire's planning officer John King said: "We're campaigning for a full green belt all the way around Doncaster because valuable countryside on the eastern edge of Doncaster still doesn't have proper planning protection and could easily be lost to development."

The CPRE said the aim of green belt was to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.

Mr King said the current boundaries of Doncaster's green belt leave eastern areas, including those around Armthorpe, Barnby Dun, Finningley, Hatfield and Thorne, exposed to the threat of being built on.

He added: "We know that Doncaster needs spaces for more homes and employment, but there are plenty of existing brownfield sites that should be regenerated first.

"Green belts are wonderful planning tools. They help urban regeneration by focusing development in towns and cities, and they prevent development sprawling into our precious countryside."

Doncaster Council's consultation on its core strategy runs until September 20. The public can view it online and make comments at www.doncaster.gov.uk/ldfcorestrategy