New Local Plan - Issues & Options (Regulation 18)
10. Strategic Green Designations
10.1 The locational strategy of the Local Plan is not just about where new development should be located. It is also about identifying locations that should be protected from development.
10.2 The current Local Plan includes Green Wedge, Areas of Separation and Countryside designations. Green Wedges have long been used in Leicester and Leicestershire as a tool to influence and direct development. They are important strategic areas designated to prevent the merging of settlements, guide development form, provide access from urban areas to green spaces/open countryside and provide recreational opportunities. There are two Green Wedges in the current Local Plan.
10.3 Areas of Separation perform the important function at the localised level of protecting the identity and distinctiveness of settlements by preventing them from merging. Countryside is generally those areas of the District outside the built-up area of larger settlements which are not subject to other designations such as Green Wedge or Area of Separation.
10.4 We recognise that these are longstanding designations. However, they may need to be reviewed to ensure they remain fit for purpose and are not acting as an inappropriate constraint to sustainable development. Any review will consider areas designated through Neighbourhood Plans.
Strategic Green Designations