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Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) South Yorkshire
protecting the countryside - for the nation, for the future

Image of Volunteers Roger Humphrey & John Hoare surveying part of the Doncaster Green Belt - for illustrative purposes only

Doncaster Deserves a Green Belt

One pleasure of living in South Yorkshire is that we have Green Belts that people take seriously. Across South Yorkshire, almost every town and city has a Green Belt. They stop towns from merging, protect the countryside from ‘sprawl’, preserve the settings of our historic towns and encourage regeneration by re-directing development towards South Yorkshires' towns and cities. However, there’s a huge gap in our Green Belts. They stop in Doncaster at a railway line that bisects the borough from north to south.

Anywhere east of here is covered instead by the ‘Countryside Policy Area’ (CPA), which Doncaster MBC tell us is "Green Belt in all but name". In terms of day-to-day planning permissions, this is partly true. The local authority is as strict on inappropriate development in the CPA as it is the Green Belt so the question is therefore – why not upgrade this CPA area and create a full and secure Green Belt for Doncaster?

Image of Map showing proposed eastern extension of Doncaster Green Belt - for illustrative purposes only

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Join the fight to protect Doncaster's valued countryside

CPRE South Yorkshire is leading the fight to secure stronger protection for the countryside in the face of such threats.

Without a Green Belt, East Doncaster's countryside could be lost to development forever. Download our campaign leaflet for more information. (Note: Document opens in a new window)

*7th July 2008 - Public meeting update - see Press Release

So why are we kicking up such a fuss?

The most important thing about Green Belts is their permanence. Local authorities can’t change their boundaries to accommodate development so it is important that they are in the right place to start with. When the South Yorkshire Green Belt was established, it was considered that the main development pressure was in the west of Doncaster where the main threat of larger settlements coalescing existed. The eastern half was left without a Green Belt partly to accommodate some development pressure.

Now with the expansion of Robin Hood Airport and large greenfield business parks proposed alongside the ‘M18 corridor’, CPRE argues that without a strategic Green Belt, monstrous tin boxes will be allowed to spring up in the countryside almost at random and Doncaster will lose one of its main attractions to investors: pristine countryside.

The borough’s Local Development Framework (which will contain the borough's planning policies) is currently under review. When the Council publishes the Core Strategy for public consultation (this is first document to be produced under the LDF process) we would like as many members as possible to write to the Council supporting our call for an expansion of the Green Belt in the east of Doncaster.

To ensure you do not miss this opportunity to influence the future development of Doncaster, contact the Doncaster Planning Policy Unit and register your contact details. Otherwise look out for news in your local press.

Picture: top left - Roger Humphrey & John Hoare surveying part of the Doncaster Green Belt

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Peak District & South Yorkshire has been caring for the countryside in the Peak District & South Yorkshire area for over 80 years and runs CPRE, South Yorkshire and Friends of the Peak District. The Campaign to Protect Rural England, PDSY is an independent charity and exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country.

The CPRE, Peak District & South Yorkshire is not responsible for the content, services or reliability of links to external websites.
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